The department shall establish a general schedule for the designation of specific groundwater management areas. The general schedule shall guide the department in the designation of specific groundwater management areas and in the allocation of the department's available water resources funding and staffing.

(1) The general schedule for designation of groundwater management areas shall identify the relative priority of each of the probable groundwater management areas. The relative priority of the probable groundwater management areas shall be based upon:

(a) The availability of local or state agency resources to develop and implement a groundwater management program;

(b) The significance, severity or urgency of the problems or potential problems described in the request for identification submitted for each area, with the highest priority given to areas where the water quality is imminently threatened;

(2) The department shall revise the general schedule as needed to comply with the intent of this chapter. After each revision the general schedule shall be published in the news media and the Washington State Register. A public hearing will be held in June of each year to receive public comment on the general schedule.