Washington State Department of Ecology

WRIA 55/57 LittleSpokane/Middle Spokane

Lead agency contact:

Reanette Boese
Spokane County Public Works Department, Utilities Division
(509) 477-7678
rboese@spokanecounty.org

Ecology contact:

Sara Hunt
Department of Ecology
(509) 329-3579
sarh461@ecy.wa.gov

Implementation phase: Year 2 (FY09) - Detailed implementation plan completed: February 2008

Planning phase: Phase 4

Optional elements: Flows, Storage

Plan due: December 2004

Plan completed: January 2006

Grants awarded: About $2,242,000 through June 2009

Plan website: Spokane Basin Watershed Planning

Progress

The boards of commissioners from Spokane, Stevens, and Pend Oreille counties adopted their final watershed plan in joint session in January 2006. The planning group approved the Phase 4 detailed implementation plan in February 2008.

Since plan adoption, the group has:

Continued work on instream flow assessment and recommendations.
Completed a feasibility study on enhancing water storage by restoring wetlands or other natural impoundments.
Completed a feasibility study to restore a 330-acre wetland complex at Saltese Flats.
Developed education and outreach materials and trainings about water conservation and irrigation efficiencies.

The watershed planning group members are taking part in a Washington/Idaho regional water dialogue led by the mayors of the cities of Post Falls and Spokane. It focuses on interstate collaboration on water conservation affecting the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie and the Spokane River.

Instream Flow Status
Instream flows were set in 1976 for the Little Spokane River (Chapter 173-555 WAC). The planning group approved instream flow recommendations for the river at Barker Road and for aesthetic and recreational flows in the watershed plan. Further instream flow data collection was completed for the Middle and Lower Spokane River in May 2007.

The joint WRIA 54 and 55/57 instream flow work group collaborated on instream flow recommendations for the entire Spokane River, integrating the research from the recent studies with those completed in 2004 and during the Avista FERC relicensing process. The work group did not achieve consensus on minimum instream flows for the main stem Spokane River. However, they did agree upon control points to manage surface water and the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie aquifer.

The State Caucus recommendations for minimum instream flows were used as the foundation for conditions in the Section 401 water quality certification of the Avista hydroelectric dam relicense. The State Caucus is developing recommendations for spring spawning flows and delineating the boundary of the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie aquifer that would be associated with a future instream flow rule.

Studies or data relevant to planning for this area

Other resources

Instream Flow Data WRIA 55 Little Spokane River Basin

Washington State Department of Ecology home page

Please send additions or corrections to Chris Anderson, (360) 407-6634.