The department shall designate groundwater management areas by order of the department in accordance with the general schedule. The department shall hold a public hearing within the county or counties containing the probable groundwater management area prior to such designation. The order shall be issued to the lead agency as well as the agency or groundwater user group originally requesting identification of the areas, with copies sent to other affected state agencies, local governments, tribal governments and those parties recommended for groundwater advisory committee membership. Copies of the order shall be published by the department in newspapers of general circulation within the area. The order shall contain a general description of the planning boundary for the groundwater management area and shall state that the department, in cooperation with the lead agency and local government, intends to appoint a groundwater advisory committee to oversee the development of a groundwater management program for the area.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
90.44.400. WSR 86-02-004 (Order DE 85-24), § 173-100-070, filed 12/20/85.]