Publication Summary

The adopted watershed plans and the assessments produced through the planning process are expected to provide information that helps make future water-rights decisions. It is Ecology′s hope that each planning unit will identify how water will be managed and cared for within the WRIA. A central element of planning under the Watershed Planning Act is an assessment of how much water is available and how much is being used and/or needed in the watershed. A "water balance," also known as a water budget, is a key piece of a watershed assessment. If the assessment indicates there is sufficient water for instream uses, including fish, and that there is additional water available for desired growth, then Ecology will use that information as part of the basis for making water-right permit decisions for growth.