The Sustainable Water Resources Act (SWRA), Senate Bill 349 and House Bill 255, would require MassDEP to consult with the Department of Fish and Game to develop streamflow standards, enable easier removal of unnecessary dams and authorize waterbanking — which authorizes communities to assess fees for water conservation and sustainability measures.

If you could not support the SWRA at the State House hearing on Thursday, July 14, 2011, we urge you to send (email and snail mail addresses below) in your testimony.

The SWRA’s streamflow provisions of the SWRA are important within the context of EEA’s Sustainable Water Management Initiative (SWMI).  The bill has provided steady pressure on the SWMI process to develop streamflow standards. It also provides the opportunity to codify potential good results on streamflow from the SWMI process and insurance, should the SWMI process not produce results.

 Testimony

If you haven’t prepared testimony before, it’s basically a letter in support of the bills.  You introduce yourself, your organization (if appropriate – letters from individuals are also very helpful), and then explain why you support the legislation.  It is especially effective to include an anecdote or two about why this bill will help your river). A page or two is fine.  Below are some helpful  documents:

• SWRA Fact Sheet
• SWRA S.B.349/H.B.255  (The Bill)
• SWRA S.B.349/H.B.255 Red Line Strike Out (shows how bill would change language of existing laws)
• The Boston Globe editorial in support of the Sustainable Water Resources Act on the morning of the hearing: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2011/07/14/keeping_rivers_from_going_dry/

 Addressing Testimony

Regular mail:

Email:

Representative Anne Gobi: Anne.Gobi@mahouse.gov

Senator Marc Pacheco: Marc.Pacheco@masenate.gov

For information on the previous version of the SWRA introduced in 2009, go to SWRA H.B.834.

Mattapoisett River 2006

Mattapoisett River 2007