Marion County Integrated Water Resources Plan

Integrated water resources planning takes a comprehensive and coordinated approach to ensuring the resiliency of water supplies. GSI supported the development of an IWRP to identify water resource issues affecting Marion County with a focus on drinking water needs of domestic well users and smaller communities where the County has purview or management roles. The process included reviewing consumptive and environmental water demands and reliability of water supplies relative to these water needs, and evaluating how water quality affects the adequacy and reliability of these water resources. The resulting IWRP provided the County with key information for decision-making and a strategy for supporting water supply-related policies and initiatives that address these water resource issues.

GSI's work involved:

• Developing a “State of Water Resources” memorandum documenting background and historical and current water user information.
• Reviewing current and future water demands for consumptive uses for municipal, domestic, agricultural, and industrial users, as well as environmental needs for aquatic species.
• Assessing water supply options and localized water needs of small communities and rural areas within the County’s purview.
• Developing an overall strategy and recommended initiatives and projects that the County may implement to develop water supply options and meet current and future water demands within the County.