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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Nov. 16, 1998
98-197
CONTACT: Mary Getchell, Public Information Manager, (360) 407-6157; pager, (360) 534-8590OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), in conjunction with Walla Walla County, is proposing to change how some water-right permits are processed in the Walla Walla River Basin. The proposal would allow Ecology to process certain applications for changes to water rights ahead of requests for new water-right permits.
Ecology is holding a public workshop to discuss the proposal and hear people's comments on it. The workshop will be Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7 - 9 p.m., at the WSU/Walla Walla County Extension Office auditorium, 317 W. Rose St., Walla Walla. Ecology wants to hear citizens' preferences and priorities for water use in the basin.
"Water use in the Walla Walla basin is very tight. We do not have cheap, available water where and when people need it and much of the water in the basin is already spoken for," said Ecology's Water Resources Program manager, Keith Phillips. "This rule change would help people meet their water needs through changes to existing water use, with a benefit to other water users in the basin, both instream and out-of-stream."
In general, current law and regulations require Ecology to process water-right applications on the basis of public health and safety, enhancement to the environment and then by the oldest applications first within a geographic basin. In the Walla Walla River Basin, there are approximately 50 pending applications for new water-right permits, and about 62 applications that request changes to existing water rights.
"Unfortunately, there is not much, if any, new water available to allocate to people who are requesting water via new applications. However, by rule right now we would need to first process most of the new applications first because they were submitted before the applications that request changes to existing water uses," said Phillips.
A change to a water right could involve the purpose of water use (irrigation to domestic), the point of water withdrawal, the place of using the water, and/or adding several points of withdrawal.
A goal of the rule is to determine how the use of incentives, technology and local preferences for public water supplies can help instream and out-of-stream water use. The proposed rule sets a priority for processing applications requesting changes. The proposal is an elective process for applicants. Any proposed change would have to:
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