Skagit River Basin - Skagit River Management Rule

The Department of Ecology amended the Skagit River management rule to create a secure future source of water for residents and the Skagit River basin, while also protecting "instream" flows of the river.

The new rule amendment will continue to protect fish, wildlife, water quality and recreational uses. It also keeps the existing 2001 stream flows in place while allocating and reserving surface and groundwater for future agricultural irrigation, residential, commercial/industrial and livestock uses throughout the Skagit basin.

Frequently Asked Questions - Skagit River Basin Water Reservations
Skagit River Basin Instream Flow Implementation Agreement - Interlocal implementation agreement between Skagit County and the State of Washington Department of Ecology 01/22/2007
Chapter 173-503 WAC - Instream Resources Protection Program - Lower and Upper Skagit Water Resources Inventory Area (WRIA 3 and 4)
Skagit Rule Amendment Rule Making Criteria: Background on the Reservations, Closures, and Hydraulic Continuity - May 2006
Chapter 173-503 WAC Cost Benefit Analysis, Maximum Net Benefit Analysis & Least Burdensome Analysis for Instream Resources Protection Program--Lower and Upper Skagit Water Resources Inventory Areas 3 and 4
Responsiveness Summary and Concise Explanatory Statement for the adoption of: Chapter 173-503 WAC Water Resources Management & Instream Flow Program Skagit River Basin Water Resource Inventory Areas 3 and 4
Revised Small Business Economic Impact Statement for Amendment to Chapter 173-503 WAC Instream Resources Protection Program - Lower and Upper Skagit Water Resources Inventory Area 3 and 4
News Release May 22, 2006 State move secures future water, protect flows in Skagit River basin
Map Lower Skagit Sub-basins WRIA 3 - includes sub-basin management unit and reservation quantity
Map Upper Skagit Sub-basins WRIA 4 - includes sub-basin management unit and reservation quantity

Agricultural Irrigation

A reservation of 3,564 acre feet of water is available for future commercial agricultural irrigation for either ground or surface water in the Lower, Middle and Upper Skagit sub-basins. Potential users of this reservation will need to obtain a water right from Ecology.

Domestic, Municipal, Commercial/Industrial and Stock Watering Uses

A reservation of a maximum average consumptive daily use of 9,370,208 gallons per day of water is available for domestic, municipal, or commercial/industrial water supply not subject to the instream flows. A reservation of 324,000 gallons per day of water is reserved for new stock water uses not subject to instream flows. It is available to users exempt from the permitting process and to users requiring a water right. The quantity of water reserved would not significantly impact fish habitat.

Skagit Water Reservations 2007 Annual Report

In consultation with local governments and tribes, Ecology developed an amendment to the Skagit Instream Flow Rule, WAC 173-503, which was adopted May 2006. The rule amendment established reservations of water for specific out-of-stream uses that are not subject to instream flows. The rule created three reservations of limited water supplies for different purposes of use:

Domestic, municipal, and commercial/industrial uses. (9,370,208 gallons of water per day)
Agricultural irrigation uses (3,564 acre feet of water per year)
Stock water uses (324,000 gallons of water per day).

Applicability of the Water Reservations

This report summarizes water uses from April 14, 2001 to December 31, 2007 utilizing the reservations. The reservations apply back to April 14, 2001 in order to provide uninterruptible water supplies for water users that established their water use after the original Skagit Instream Flow Rule (WAC 173-503) was adopted, on April 14, 2001. Under the original rule, all water uses established after this date were subject to regulation when the senior instream flows were not being met. The rule amendment recently adopted by Ecology allows wells developed after April 14, 2001 a legally secure water supply by including their uses under the reservation.

Skagit Reservation Accounting Report - April 14, 2001- December 31, 2007
Appendix A - Skagit County Permit Counting Spreadsheet
Appendix B - Snohomish County Permit Counting Spreadsheet
Appendix C - Skagit County Description of Water Use Estimating Process
Appendix D - Livestock Water Use Spreadsheet

Archive - 2006 Annual Report

Skagit Reservation Accounting Report - April 14, 2001- December 31, 2006
Appendix A - Skagit County Permit Counting Spreadsheet
Appendix B - Snohomish County Permit Counting Spreadsheet
Appendix C - Skagit County Description of Water Use Estimating Process
Appendix D - Livestock Water Use Spreadsheet

Overview of the basin

Skagit River Facts

Size: The Skagit River is more than 160 miles long and the third largest river on the West Coast of the contiguous United States, after the Columbia and Sacramento rivers. It provides about 20 percent of the fresh water flowing into Puget Sound, or nearly 10 billion gallons a day.
Location: The river originates in Canada then flows south and west through the North Cascade Range. With some 2,900 tributaries, it drains 3,130 square miles of watershed in 2,730 square miles in Washington and 400 in British Columbia.
Animal Species: 5 species of salmon, globally rare Salish sucker, neotropical migrant birds, bald eagles, fishers, grizzly bear, wolves, trumpeter swan, gray-bellied brant, and many raptors and waterfowl. The Skagit is the only river system in Washington which supports all five species of salmon. It contains some of the largest and healthiest wild Chinook salmon runs in Puget Sound and the largest pink salmon stock in Washington.

Detailed maps

Watershed Planning information:

Upper/Lower Skagit - WRIA 3/4 Watershed Plan

Contact

Jacque Klug
Phone: (425) 649-7124
e-mail: jklu461@ecy.wa.gov