County commissioners Lianne Thompson (Clatsop), Margaret Magruder (Columbia) and Erin Skaar (Tillamook) have begun convening community water learning efforts in each of their counties. AOC County Solutions is partnering with a water contractor to provide staffing and technical assistance as commissioner conveners design and implement locally-driven community water knowledge exchanges within each participating county. 

Foundational Initiative

These commissioner-convened water knowledge exchanges will be a foundational investment for individual counties to meet their future water needs, including through these key components: 

  • Better understanding each county’s diverse water needs and challenges,
  • Developing mutual understanding among the multiple water stakeholders,
  • Building relationships and trust needed to solve complex water challenges over the years to come,
  • Fueling a community-based county water agenda for successful partnerships with the legislative and executive branches in the 2023 Legislative Session, and
  • Preparing counties to successfully access and utilize federal water funding opportunities including through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and other emerging opportunities.

Goals 

The goals of the water exchange program are to:

  • Help build local water knowledge and relationships through a collaborative information exchange that evolves into local water networks for continued learning, partnerships, and future water planning efforts.
  • Inventory and document each county’s water needs in a process that is fully inclusive of all members of the community. This effort is designed to be representative and welcoming to any/all individuals, groups, associations, communities, stakeholders, organizations, and others who may have water needs. These exchanges are designed to help ensure that all voices and interests can participate equitably.

Scope

This community-led learning initiative will include all aspects of water – water for people, communities, the environment, and economic impact. The project will delve into water needs including quantity, timing, quality, infrastructure, ecology, access, and cost. 

Timeline

  • March: Commissioners will convene water community building teams (groups of approximately 15-20), who will help ensure that the engagement process is inclusive of all voices in the county across the entire spectrum of water needs and interests
  • April-May: Community building teams will design specific tools for how to collect water related needs for their counties.
  • June-July: Community public forum events will be held in each county. 

Click here to view the water exchange process.

Deliverables of the AOC Community Water Exchange Program 

This five-month process will result in two major contributions from AOC County Solutions:

  • County Water Atlas: A user-friendly, web-based information and resource tool that can help communities capture and share water related knowledge, data, statistics, needs, and stories.
  • Community Water Inventories: Locally-informed, comprehensive lists of water needs that can help strengthen planning and capacity building efforts at the water region and/or basin level.

Contributed by: Andy Smith | County Solutions County Solutions Director