Legislative panel working on water policy

AUBURN - A group of Alabama legislators on Monday began preparing to draft a plan to manage and conserve the state's water resources.

The Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Water Policy and Management met at Auburn University in its first meeting since being formed this spring. The committee is made up of seven members each from the House and Senate.

Its members at the meeting chose State Sen. Kim Benefield, D-Woodland, chairman and Rep. Greg Canfield, R-Vestavia Hills vice chairman. The pair sponsored the legislation that created the committee.

"The drought of the last two years has just really affected our state and I think emphasized the need for a statewide water management plan," Benefield said.

At its next meeting on July 28 in Montgomery the committee will listen to individuals or groups representing the competing interests for Alabama's system of rivers, streams, lakes, and underground water resources.

The groups will include those interested in the environment, recreation, industry, agriculture, and hydroelectric power.

Subcommittees to look at different issues also would likely be formed at the July meeting, Benefield said.

The legislators are to report to the Alabama Legislature during the next regular session in 2009. That report could include recommendations on new water management laws or policies.

Among its duties, the group is to recommend a water management plan that expands the availability of water to meet Alabama's current and future needs, develop conservation programs, and identify areas where more research is needed.

After Monday's organizational meeting, the legislators began a two-day workshop to get an overview of Alabama's water resources and the issues involved in developing a state water police.

Workshop sessions are being led by officials from Auburn's Water Resources Center, the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, the Geological Survey of Alabama, the Alabama Office of Water Resources, and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

E-mail: kfaulk@bhamnews.com