Publication Summary

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) is amending Chapter 173-503 WAC. The main features of this rule amendment are --creating reservations of a limited amount of water for specific future uses that are not subject to the established in-stream flows, --establishing closures for tributaries, and --requiring hookups --requiring meters

The rule amendment also changes previously interruptible water supplies into uninterruptible water supplies, and potentially reduces in-stream flow levels. It provides additional benefits to various out-of-stream water users, and also reduces various environmental values.

This Small Business Economic Impact Statement (SBEIS) finds that the dominant business impact of this rule amendment is that it will provide disproportionate benefits to small business. Some small businesses will also experience net costs and these will also be disproportionate. Overall, this amendment constitutes a cost reducing change to the existing rule under RCW 19.85.030 (2) (e), which reduces the disproportionate impact of the existing rule.