In the Northwest, declining salmon populations and the pervasive effects of their certification as a threatened species by the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Environmental Protection Act have provoked intense debate about the appropriation of water resources for the maintenance of stream flows, generation of power, and utilization by agriculture and urban areas. With the importance of ground water to many diverse groups, controversies over the allocation of ground water resources, and the complexity of accurate determination of ground water availability, effective management is crucial.

Passage of the Growth Management Act in 1990 by the Washington State Legislature was a critical step in the development of policies to regulate growth in order to prevent the depletion and degradation of natural resources, including water, with the intention to accomplish this by requiring comprehensive plans and ground water management planning for highgrowth locations.

The objective of this thesis was to examine how ground water is being managed on Bainbridge, Vashon, and Whidbey Islands, and whether determination has been made of how much ground water is available and how much ground water is being used. Bainbridge, Vashon, and Whidbey Islands all depend on ground water as their source of drinking water, and all three are experiencing rapid growth, so it is imperative that future water availability be determined. The comprehensive plans and ground water management plans for these three islands were examined to see how ground water was supposed to be managed in each location, and then the actual ground water management for each jurisdiction was compared.

A modeling program provided an analysis of aquifer recharge as a more site-specific alternative to the water budget method that is often depended upon for planning of urban growth. Determination was made that there is a wide variance in the management of ground water for Bainbridge, Vashon, and Whidbey Islands. To meet Growth Management Act objectives, accurate and comprehensive data are reofuired which can be utilized for ongoing monitoring and assessment of ground water resources.