Speakers to Discuss Water and Land Use Planning in Valley Springs

On May 23, MyValleySprings.com and the Foothill Conservancy will host Water and Land Use Planning: Making the Connection, the third in a series of town hall meetings designed to engage the public in the community planning process. “With our meetings we’re trying to build the foundation for an updated Valley Springs Community Plan concurrent with the county general plan update,” said Joyce Techel, MVS.com board president. Attendees on the 23^rd will find out how the watershed relates to land use, learn more about floodplain management, why flooding occurs, and gain a better understanding of where development should occur and why.

The featured speakers are Clark Anderson, Water and Land Use Planning Specialist with the Local Government Commission (LGC) and Timothy J. Lawrence, an analyst with UC Davis Extension’s Center for Water and Land Use. They will discuss housing density, siting, and protecting natural features. Mr. Anderson notes it is crucial to “discover the community form that works for your area” and then “align development decisions with water issues.”

According to the LGC, watersheds link land and water. A watershed is “the land that drains into a single water body such as a river, stream, lake, or estuary, or flows into a groundwater basin. All land, developed or not, is in a watershed. The water resources within a watershed are connected both above and below the ground. Watersheds are critical to the health and welfare of our communities—they are the source of local water supplies for homes, industry and natural habitats.” Mr. Anderson will provide an overview of basic connections between water and land use planning and discuss ways to integrate water into local development issues.

Due to the “rapid expansion of development in California,” the Center for Water and Land Use is focused on commercial and residential development issues. Their areas of concern include source water protection; the quality of water in our streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands; the impact development can have on water quality; wise use of water through conservation; and protection of the habitat and ecology of our aquatic resources. Mr. Lawrence will discuss basic hydrologic concepts and practices that communities can use to address issues such as flooding, stormwater runoff, and erosion.

Ms. Techel emphasized, “It is crucial for people to understand the importance of watershed friendly development. We all saw the consequences of poor planning with regard to the watershed during the extensive flooding in Valley Springs in April of last year. We can’t continue to disregard the need for adequate planning before additional projects are approved. Development can be a good thing in the right place.” MVS.com and the Foothill Conservancy are both local non-profit organizations dedicated to sound land use planning and smart growth principles.

Water and Land Use Planning: Making the Connection will be presented from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, in the Valley Springs Elementary School Multi-Purpose Room, 240 Pine Street. Admission is free and open to the general public. The evening will include a free t-shirt raffle, refreshments, and interactive exercises designed to engage the audience and further illustrate the relationship between land use planning and water. For more information call Joyce, (209) 772-1463, email: info@myvalleysprings.com or visit www.myvalleysprings.com.