Oct 27, 2009 By Herald Standard Staff 2 min read

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will conduct six public meetings and formal hearings to answer questions and accept testimony on proposed critical water planning areas in Pennsylvania’s six major river basins. In this region, the meeting will be held as follows:

Ohio River Regional Water Resources Committee, 2 p.m. Wednesday, formal hearing at 3 p.m., Westmoreland Conservation District office, 218 Donohoe Road, Greensburg.

For information, call Lori Mohr, DEP Water Planning Office, Harrisburg, 717-787-4628 laumohr@state.pa.us.

Nominated Watersheds: Connoquenessing Creek, Indian Creek, Laurel Hill Creek.

Critical water planning areas encompass watersheds where existing or future water demands exceed or threaten to exceed the safe yield of available water resources. The process for designating these areas was established under Act 220 of 2002, the Water Resources Planning Act, which created the first update to the state water plan in 26 years.

Act 220 established a Statewide Water Resource Committee and six regional water resource committees tasked with updating, compiling and reviewing water-use data, taking public comment, identifying where existing and potential water-use conflicts and water quality issues may occur, and creating recommendations for the state water plan.

This is the first step in approving the planning areas.

The public meetings will include presentations by DEP staff and members of the respective regional committees, followed by an informal discussion period.

The formal hearings will begin immediately following the public meeting.

For more information and to view a map of the proposed Critical Water Planning Areas, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: State Water Plan.