b'Appendix B - Our Groundwater StoryPart 1Responding to ConcernOttawa County is the fastest growing county in Michigan. It is also one of the most agriculturally diverse and productive counties in the State, and nationally. As the Countys population continues to grow and its agricultural industry ourishes into the future, access to abundant clean water is essential.Residents, agricultural producers, and businesses in Ottawa County obtain their water from two primary sources: municipal water systems and natural aquifer systems.The Countys urbanized areas are served principally by municipal systems that distribute water processed from Lake Michigan, while its rural areas rely on water that is pumped from underground geologic aquifer systems. Since 2005, there have been instances in the County where the aquifer system has not had the capacity to support new withdrawals, mainly due to low water levels.There have also been instances where extracted groundwater contained elevated levels of sodium chloride.In order to understand the long-term sustainability of the Countys aquifer system, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners requested that a comprehensive, forward-looking study be conducted. One of the primary goals of the study was to identify those areas of the CountyDid You Know.where continued and/or increased groundwater withdrawals mayLocal farmers have seen their crops become damaged by using negatively impact the sustainability and quality of the aquifer system. groundwater with high levels of sodium chloride.57print plan.13.indd 57 2/19/2020 12:13:57 PM'