SAGE concerns:

– Combining #water basins without #public #consultation and #assessment of #environmental impacts risks aquatic and riparian #ecosystem #health.

– Expanding the latitude of water use under the current water #license #system increases the amount of water being removed from #river #systems, which already do not meet minimum flows for river health for portions of the year.

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#Water #transfers should #maintain #public #transparency with #identification of #risks and #benefits to the #environment and the #public good.

To summarize, SAGE believes that meeting water #conservation objectives (WCOs) and preserving grasslands should be a minimum requirement before allowing the greater use of water in closed basins. Regardless of the water #licenses under FITFIR, meeting minimum flows for aquatic #ecosystem #health is the #priority.

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