# Water withdrawal



## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

I posted this in the SW streams forum, too. How it might affect streams further north or rivers and cuts around the Bay is something to think about.

Blocking the DEQ, which is mostly a rubber stamp anyway, and keeping info from the public unless they file a lawsuit does not give me the warm fuzzies about what the Farm Bureau thinks this will do to water tables. Note that the sponsor of the bill is one of the direct beneficiaries. Wonder if he decided to run for any other reason than to jam this through.

LANSING, MI -- Michigan House Republicans are fast-tracking new legislation written by the Farm Bureau that would drastically alter state environmental regulation of groundwater and shield data on agricultural withdrawals from the public.

House Bill 5638 was introduced Thursday, Feb. 22 by Rep. Aaron Miller, R-Sturgis, with 24 other House Republican sponsors; including Rep. Gary Howell, chair of the natural resources committee, which is hearing the bill at 9 a.m on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

It has yet to receive a fiscal impact analysis.

If passed, the bill would alter the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's review process for large groundwater withdrawals and *exempt certain data on agricultural water use from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.*

In Michigan, agricultural irrigation is the largest type of "consumptive" water use; meaning some or all of the water used is not returned to the local ecosystem.

Environmental groups say the legislation is an attempt to dismantle water resource protection. The legislation would, essentially, relegate the DEQ to merely monitoring water use rather than ensuring overuse doesn't harm the environment, they argue.

Miller says the goal is to help farmers in Southwest Michigan, where there's increasing demand for corporate seed crops, to get approval for irrigation wells in areas where there's already multiple wells.

*"We're saying, as growers, we doubt the system the system DEQ is using and think it needs to be updated,"* said Miller, who won the 59thDistrict seat, representing St. Joseph and Cass counties, in 2016. Both counties are heavily irrigated.

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/02/michigan_agriculture_water_bil.html


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

https://www.freep.com/story/news/lo.../michigan-water-withdrawals-nestle/377747002/


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

We are approaching all time high lake levels.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)




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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

I can not count the number of times I have seen the level of Lake Michigan go up and down over my 75 years on this earth. It will go back down like it always has. The sky is not falling.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Luv2hunteup said:


> We are approaching all time high lake levels.
> 
> View attachment 300016


I’m not seeing the connection.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

kzoofisher said:


> I’m not seeing the connection.


Look at the OPs opening sentence. Streams and rivers do contribute to lake levels.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

And the connection between near record water levels and long term water policy is?


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

For those that don't think these large withdrawals are harmful, how do you explain the colorado river, as an example, not reaching the ocean anymore. This is due to heavy irrigation in the southern ends of the river, so what makes one think it can't happen here? By that I mean don't think for a minute that people such as nestles won't take every last drop if they can get away with it.


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## strmanglr (Sep 23, 2015)

A huge part of what makes this state so special is water. 

This legislation will affect ground water more than anything. 

Less ground water will have a negative impact on spring fed rivers and creeks. 

Seen any of those around the state?


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