Local delegates and officials who went to last week’s regional water planning council in Dawsonville said they’re making progress in the quest for information.

Once all the information is on the table, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division can begin work on a regional development and conservation plan that will assess resources, future water needs and best management practices.

The Jan. 26 gathering was the fourth of six planned meetings, which included representatives from Dawson and 17 other counties that share resources for the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Tennessee river basins, as well as the Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge and Piedmont aquifers.

Council Member Pat Gober said at this point, “they’re trying to get everybody to share information. That’s the biggest thing they’re pushing for right now.”

Fellow council member Mike Berg said the discussion centered on “how much surface water there is. It gives us a base line to work from as far as how we plan for how much water we’re going to use in the future.”

Added Berg: “Of the four meetings we’ve been to, this was probably the best meeting, because it got into the meat of what we have to have to make the decisions we’re going to need to make.”

Brooke Anderson, general manager of Etowah Water and Sewer Authority, sat in on the meeting.

Said Anderson: “The question they’re looking to answer is this: ‘What is the projected or anticipated ability of the natural systems to supply water and still meet their designated function?’”

Once all the input is gathered, EPD could use the information for a plan that could guide the operation and vision for the area. The division will also use the data to determine permits and loans for water projects in the future.