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Sep. 30, 2010
A public informational hearing will be held on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. at the Deep Creek Discovery Center regarding an application made by Wisp Resort to draw water from a well in the Hoyes Run/Fantasy Valley area. The hearing is hosted by the Maryland Department of the Environment, and arguments for and against the proposal will be heard.
The application by Wisp, which was made this summer, is requesting a permit to withdraw ground water from one well in the Greenbrier/Pocono Formation for irrigation at the Lodestone Golf Course. The MDE is considering an appropriation for an annual average of 48,000 gallons of ground water per day and 175,000 gallons in the month of maximum use. The project was advertised in The Republican newspaper on Aug. 19.
Concerns have been raised by citizens in the area of Hoyes Run, who have stated that it is the only stream in Maryland in which brown, rainbow, and brook trout breed in the wild, and the use of water proposed by Wisp may weaken the stream and endanger the wildlife. Other concerns raised have to do with the residential needs for the water in that area.
Landowners in the area are pushing for a proper environmental impact statement prior to approving the licenses, and greater protection for this resource, according to Bryan Hubbard, a citizen involved in the process.
The public is invited to attend the hearing.
