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ft <br />RECAP OF STATE WATER SUPPLY WATERSHED PLANNING <br />In September 1991, the Planning Board adopted public hearing <br />comments regarding recommended classifications for 11 water supply <br />watersheds within county jurisdiction identified in the State's <br />Water Supply Watershed Protection Act (1989). This legislation <br />requires each local government in the state to protect water supply <br />watersheds, at a minimum, to the level of new standards adopted by <br />the Environmental Management Commission (EMC). <br />Since September, significant changes have occurred to both the <br />standards for watershed classification and the timeline for local <br />submittal of watershed protection plans to the state Environmental <br />Management Commission (EMC) . An appeal of these changes are pending <br />before the EMC. In the meantime, however, local governments must <br />begin making plans to adopt and submit watershed protection plans <br />by the appropriate deadline. <br />The EMC is likewise moving ahead with this effort, adopting final <br />watershed classifications (based on the new rules) on May 14. The <br />recommended classifications by Division of Environmental Management <br />staff should be released in early May. <br />No further comments by local governments are being accepted on <br />watershed classification requests, with one important local <br />exception - the Eno watershed upstream of Hillsborough. The <br />potential for new comment at staff level exists for three reasons: <br />1. The Eno River watershed upstream of <br />Hillsborough is unique in that it contains six <br />potential water supplies. <br />F <br />2. While the County requested WS -II for the "Upper <br />Eno and WS -III for the "Middle Eno ", the Town <br />of Hillsborough did not comment on this part of <br />the Eno basin. <br />3. The changes in the watershed rules adopted in <br />February 1992 allow the entire Eno upstream of <br />Lake Ben Johnson to now qualify as a WS -II <br />class watershed. <br />Discussions are currently underway between Town and County <br />administrations on pursuing the higher WS -II classification. If <br />pursued, the matter will be referred to the Board of Commissioners <br />to authorize the County Manager to request that DEM place a <br />different classification than previously requested. Town and County <br />agreement is needed for this request to be considered by DEM. <br />3 <br />