Group proposes regional authority on groundwater

If approved by voters, the Kishwaukee Valley Water Authority would oversee nearly all of DeKalb and Boone counties and most of McHenry County. The unshaded urban areas, such as the cities of DeKalb and Sycamore, would not fall under the authority of KVWA, whose purpose would be to regulate groundwater use in the region. Provided graphic

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A group with roots in a McHenry County land-use dispute is hoping voters there and in DeKalb and Boone counties will approve the creation of a new governmental entity to regulate the use of groundwater. The Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water, or A-LAW, was created by McHenry County residents who earlier this year opposed a county-created long-term land-use plan that they felt was overly favorable to development interests. That plan ultimately was scrapped, according to Robert Perbohner, a director of A-LAW, but the group realized that what was needed was a more permanent entity to protect what it sees as a regional groundwater supply under threat from population growth. The group plans to file petitions on Friday at the DeKalb County Courthouse to get a referendum on the April 17 ballot asking voters to approve the creation of a water authority covering nearly all of DeKalb and Boone counties and most of McHenry County. &#8220The areas we took in are vastly rural,” Perbohner said, and would not include the cities of DeKalb and Sycamore. If the referendum is approved, the county boards in the three affected counties would each appoint one representative to serve as trustee for the new governmental entity, which is being called the Kishwaukee Valley Water Authority. KVWA's board would have the power to approve or deny requests from business or residential developers that plan to drill new wells and use large amounts of groundwater. It also could regulate use of groundwater during droughts and would be responsible for studying and keeping track of the region's existing groundwater supply. Developments of four or fewer single-family homes would not be subject to KVWA's authority, and all agricultural uses would be exempt from its oversight as well. &#8220This particular authority will certainly empower those that are in the rural parts of the county,” Perbohner said. To pay for its work, KVWA would collect property taxes in an amount not exceeding 8 cents per $100 assessed value. However, the group initially plans to levy only about 3 cents, or about $25 on a $250,000 home. The effort to create the water authority already has the support of the Boone and McHenry county farm bureaus, Perbohner said. The DeKalb County Farm Bureau Board of Directors will consider the plan later this month and could take some formal position on it then or in January, according to farm bureau Manager Greg Millburg. Millburg said the farm bureau is open to the idea but still does not know much about it. &#8220We're definitely going to be discussing it,” he said. He acknowledged that a drawback for farmers would be the tax increase, but that conservation of groundwater is something the agriculture industry generally supports. He said he's spoken with representatives from some of the 13 existing water authorities in Illinois - most of which are in the central part of the state - and that &#8220in general, they seem to think there's a purpose to (water authorities) and they've served that purpose.” Although the new entity would exempt from its oversight the cities of DeKalb and Sycamore and other large cities in the three counties, land that is annexed later by those cities would be subject to KVWA's oversight. DeKalb City Manager Mark Biernacki and Sycamore City Manager Bill Nicklas initially were not aware of A-LAW's plan for the new regulatory body. Nicklas was reluctant to offer an opinion on the effort until he could learn more about it but did say &#8220we should be leery of a proposition for another layer of government with taxing authority, especially one that proposes to disenfranchise Sycamore from decisions ... within its facility planning area.” DeKalb County Administrator Ray Bockman also said the county has very little information on the proposal, and that he has &#8220a million questions.” Illinois law gives state residents the right to petition for creation of a new water authority. The nonprofit, Havana-based Illinois Water Authority Association serves as an umbrella group for the entities. A-LAW plans to hold a press conference at 11 a.m. Friday on the DeKalb County Courthouse steps to announce its petition filing. A public meeting on the initiative is planned for Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Belvidere Township Building, 8200 Fairground Road in Belvidere. Chris Rickert can be reached at crickert@daily-chronicle.com.