LANSING- Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) voted with colleagues in the State Senate today to pass a revised agreement protecting our fresh water and implementing the Great Lakes Compact. Brater’s Senate Bill 723, a bill that establishes the Water Resources Conservation Advisory Council, was also passed by the Senate. This legislation will move to the Governor’s desk for signing.

“Protecting our water must remain a priority, and establishing regulations for withdrawals is a step in the right direction,” said Brater. “We must remain vigilant under increased pressure from thirsty regions eyeing our water, and be sure to act in Michigan’s best interest when making decisions about our lakes, rivers, and streams. The Water Resources Conservation Advisory Council will help us do this.”

The legislation unveiled in the agreement preserved the following core protections for the Great Lakes:

• Enacts the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact.

• Bans significant diversions from Michigan waters and the Great Lakes.

• Establishes a regulatory standard which prevents any water user from creating an adverse resource impact from a new or increased removal of 100,000 gallons of water per day, including the removal of groundwater.

• Contains special additional protections for thermally-sensitive trout streams.

• Includes special provisions to protect Michigan’s waters against large-scale withdrawals by water bottlers.

• Reaffirms our rights as citizens to seek redress if our waters are harmed, and reiterates the state's role in protecting those waters.

Brater’s bill establishes the Water Resources Conservation Advisory Council. This council is made up of stakeholders from environmental and sporting groups, business and agricultural interests, and other parties concerned about our water resources. Appointments are made by the Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the House, the Governor, and the DEQ. The council will study and report on the Assessment Tool, Adverse Resource Impact lines, and other facets of our water withdrawal laws to ensure adequate protection of our groundwater, lakes, rivers, and streams.

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State Senator Brater represents Senate District 18 which includes the cities of Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Chelsea, the Villages of Barton Hills and Dexter, and the following townships: Ann Arbor, Augusta, Dexter, Freedom, Lima, Lyndon, Northfield, Salem, Scio, Sharon, Superior, Sylvan, Webster and Ypsilanti. She serves on the Appropriations Committee and is Democratic Vice Chair of the subcommittees on Natural Resources, Environmental Quality, and Judiciary and Corrections and is a member of the Higher Education Subcommittee.