State asks for river plan feedback

YAKIMA – Anyone who has an opinion about how the state should implement a new Columbia River water management program, speak up now.

The state Department of Ecology has released a draft Environmental Impact Statement for a new law directing the state to pursue new water supplies for irrigators and municipalities, as well as to improve stream flows for fish.

Lawmakers approved the plan earlier this year, and Gov. Chris Gregoire hailed it as the tonic to end a 30-year stalemate over competing water needs in Eastern Washington.

The new law seeks to make more water available by increasing storage in new reservoirs. It also allows the state to sign regional agreements with communities or other groups seeking new water rights in the near term in exchange for mitigation efforts to preserve stream flows.

However, the proposal does not establish criteria for choosing one project over another or priorities for spending money. Public comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement can help direct how the state implements the program, said Joye Redfield-Wilder, spokeswoman for the state Department of Ecology.

The draft also illustrates a change in the Department of Ecology’s traditional role as water rights arbiter.

“Rather than acting as a referee on water rights disputes, it puts us in this new role of really trying to find new water to solve problems,” said Jay Manning, agency director. “Then it went one step further: It said this isn’t all about water rights or all about fish. It put us in the position of trying to find water to meet both.”

For example, it seeks public comment on whether the state should review only storage projects proposed by applicants, or to aggressively pursue storage projects, such as by purchasing stored water in Idaho or Canada.

Similarly, it asks how money should be prioritized for conservation projects and other water management proposals.

The Legislature provided $200 million in bonding authority for Columbia River storage accounts, as well as $16 million to continue feasibility studies for a number of ideas. They included off-stream storage development, enhancing existing storage projects and providing surface water to the declining Odessa aquifer.

“It’s a lot about how we should spend our money,” Manning said.