Enabling Source Water Protection:

Aligning State Land Use and Water Protection Programs

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About the Project

Photo: Seth Sherman

Protecting drinking water sources through better land use management requires strong collaboration between all levels of government and all concerned stakeholders. For example, land use and development patterns and intensive agricultural practices can compromise water quality if appropriate protective measures are not in place. Lands that might be high priority for forest preservation or wetlands protection might also serve to protect sources of drinking water supplies. Working together would maximize the effectiveness of initiatives taken by land use planners, water utilities, watershed associations, government officials, conservationists, farmers and foresters.

State programs often influence decisions at a local or watershed level. Unfortunately, even the most efficient state administrations may suffer from a disconnect among state programs and policies. Some well-intentioned policies can work at cross-purposes and can hinder local initiatives to protect our water sources.

This program will encourage more effective collaboration among various stakeholders and better congruence between various state policies and programs to enhance source water protection.

Participating states receive the following benefits:

• Consultations with experts on best practices from around the country
• Exposure to other state examples and strategies
• Recommendations based on state-specific program reviews
• Strategies for improving funding for water protection
• A support network (both within and outside government) for implementation
• A modest amount of financial support to initiate implementation activities

The national partners aim to share best practices and lessons learned through a variety of venues:

• Making presentations at national conferences,
• Posting materials on this website
• Developing a synthesis document at the conclusion of the project to report on ideas and recommendations that can be replicated in other states and to describe progress among the demonstration states. (Note: this is forthcoming.)

• Read more about the project partners.