Water Planning Act Launched
(Continued from Page A 24)
To get a better picture of the
state’s water needs and to avoid
future fights over water, secretar
ies Wolff and McGinty urged all
farmers to register their water
even those using less than 10,000
gallons per day.
“This is about finding out
which areas have critical water
needs so we can make sure we
have the best system in place for
resource management and con
servation,” Wolff said.
“Act 220 will certainly benefit
farmers in case a shortage of
water occurs,” he said. “Many
people might think the drought is
over with all the rains we’ve had
this past year, but if you look at
the past 10 years, we’re in a
water deficit.”
McGinty said DEP will use
Act 220 for water resources plan
ning only. The Act does not es
tablish water allocation or with
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drawal requirements, and does
not give DEP authority to regu
late, control, or require permits
for water withdrawal. It also pro
hibits any requirements for me
tering homeowner wells.
According to McGinty, local
officials will be able to use the in
formation gathered under Act
220 to consider how much water
is being used and how much is
still available, and limit develop
ment before water use and water
quality conflicts arise.
“When that tug and pull over
water resources comes to push
and shove and it will,” McGin
ty said, “ ... water will be safe
guarded for the use of agricul
ture.”
Stan Brown first came to the
farm here in 1948. Brown, his
wife Nona, and their son Scott
and his family own and manage
the orchard and farm market.
They grow about 125 acres of
tree fruits and 50 acres of other
Call 8 AM - 5 PM M-F
produce, including sweet com
and pumpkins. Neighboring
fanners provide much of the pro
duce sold in the store.
Beside homegrown fruit and
local produce, the diversified
market also includes a large
baked goods section, a deli, gift
shop, and children’s section.
Stan said the operation draws
water from two spring- and run
off-fed ponds for some irrigation
purposes, but the supply is
limited.
“We cannot irrigate most of
our lands,” he said.
This year’s plentiful rainfall
helped produce a crop of big,
solid apples.
“That’s what the water did,”
Brown said of the good crop. The
apples weathered Tropical Storm
Isabel fairly well, though many
leaning trees need to be straight
ened. from the effect of the storm
winds.
“Working together, we can
preserve this precious com
modity (water) for
generations to come,” Brown
said, speaking in support of
Act 220.
Ag organizations support
ing Act 220 include the
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau,
PennAg Industries, Pennsyl
vania Vegetable Growers As
sociation, Pennsylvania
Farmers Union, Pennsylva
nia Landscape and Nursery
Association, Pennsylvania
Grange, and Wenger Feeds.
A statewide water re
sources committee has been
created under Act 220 to
oversee the water plan. The
Act also creates six regional
committees, made up of busi
ness, agriculture, local gov
ernment, and environmental
representatives.
According to a DEP fact
sheet, the state’s water plan
had not been updated for
more than 25 years prior to
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 11,2003-A25
Leaders of Pennsylvania’s departments of agriculture
and environmental protection meet at Brown’s Orchard
and Farm Market this week to help launch a new water
plan for the state. Pictured here at wall mural in the store
are, from left, Dennis Wolff, ag secretary; Stan Brown;
and Kathleen McGinty, DEP secretary. Photos by Dave Le
fever
Act 220. The old plan fails to use in Pennsylvania is about 10
identify which areas have critical billion gallons per day.
water needs, according to the fact For more informatioilj or to
S Slice 1900, residential use of download registration forms, visit
water has increased from 5 gal- the Pennsylvania Power Port at
lons to 62 gallons per person per www.state.pa.us, keyword: “DEP
day. DEP estimates total water Water Management.”
“That’s what the water did.” This year’s plentiful rain
fall helped produce a crop of big, solid apples at Brown’s
Orchard and Farm Market.
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