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VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA: UNANIMOUS <br />IV. RESOLIITIONS/PROCLAMATIONS <br />A. DECLASSIFICATION OF HAW CREEK RESERVOIR AND WATERSHED <br />John Link explained that this resolution asks that the North <br />Carolina Environmental Management Commission deny the petition of the <br />Orange/Alamance Water System to declassify the Haw Creek Watershed. <br />In answer to a question from Commissioner Gordon, Paul Thames <br />explained that during low flows the Eno Basin needs to keep all the water <br />it can in the basin and the Capacity Use Agreement accomplishes that. <br />Motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner <br />Insko to approve the resolution as stated below: <br />Mebane Planning Director Joff Coe asked that the Board delay <br />action on this resolution to allow Mebane time to write a position paper on <br />this issue. Paul Thames noted that DEM has requested the County~s position <br />on this issue now. The Board agreed to go forward with this resolution, <br />however, they would like to hear from Mebane on their position. <br />RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE DECLASSIFICATION <br />OF THE HAW CREEK WATERSHED <br />IN ALAMANCE COUNTY <br />WHEREAS, the Eno River is characterized by yearly low flow conditions in <br /> which the river, for extended periods, is incapable of sustaining <br /> the current water demand of the major users of Eno River waters; <br /> and <br />WHEREAS, the NC Environmental Management Commission found the upper Eno <br /> Basin to exhibit the water usage and shortfall criteria necessary <br /> to be declared a Capacity Use Area; and <br />WHEREAS, the NC Environmental Management Commission has elected to allow <br /> Orange County, the Town of Hillsborough, the Orange-Alamance <br /> Water System and Piedmont Minerals Company, Inc. to address the <br /> water shortage and water use problems in the upper Eno River <br /> Basin, on a trial basis and under supervision of the Division of <br /> Water Resources, by developing an agreement and a plan which <br /> specifies varying levels of maximum individual water withdrawal <br /> allocations and minimum instream flow requirements based on <br /> stream flow conditions and water storage remaining in Lake <br /> Orange; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County, the Town of Hillsborough, the Orange-Alamance <br /> Water System and Piedmont Minerals Company, Inc. have called the <br /> Eno River Capacity Use Agreement, which specifies water <br /> withdrawal allocations, instream flow requirements and management <br /> responsibilities; and <br />WHEREAS, all parties to that Capacity Use Agreement were aware that <br /> Orange-Alamance uses approximately seventy-five percent of its <br /> water withdrawals outside of the Eno Basin and within Alamance <br /> County; and <br />WHEREAS, assurances made to Orange County by the Orange-Alamance Water <br /> System as early as 1968 that Orange-Alamance would obtain water <br /> from the Town of Graham to supply the Orange-Alamance customers <br /> located in Alamance County during those times when the flow in <br /> the Eno River was so low that natural stream flow had to be <br /> supplemented by releases of water impounded in Lake Orange; and <br />