In Lansing, Michigan, a much-awaited planning document designed to direct Michigan’s water usage and management policies for the next 30 years has been released in draft form.
It is a 160-page report that outlines dozens of recommendations for protecting and improving the water management of the state. The state Office of the Great Lakes developed the report.
Included in this outline is the initiative to prepare infrastructure management plans for all Michigan recreation harbors among many other recommendations the draft proposes.
M Live reports:
“Other recommendations include creating an interdepartmental “water team” to shepherd the plan’s implementation, improving stormwater infrastructure and cleaning up historically contaminated sites.
The plan identifies the hydrological separation of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins by 2020 as a goal in the fight to prevent the spread of Asian carp.
Jon Allan, director of the Office of the Great Lakes, who led the strategy development, said long-term sustainability of Michigan’s water resources is “critically important to advancing the state’s prosperity.”
“Available freshwater continues to grow in importance nationally and globally,” said Allan, an environmental policy and law expert and former Consumers Energy executive who was involved in the Great Lakes Compact negotiations.”
The development of this planning document is definitely a good step forward for Michigan and will enable water managers to make informed decisions and plan according to the information that has been laid out.
A 30-year water usage and planning document, such as this Michigan document, informs the Future Demand Section of your Asset Management Plan.
Long-term planning and guidance documents are extremely useful for infrastructure asset management planning and should be referenced and used wherever possible.
[…] Michigan’s 30-Year Water Management Strategy Includes Infrastructure Management Planning […]