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Department of Ecology News Release - Aug. 29, 2000
00-172
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has issued an order starting the process to stop the Willows Run Golf Course in Redmond from irrigating with water from wells near the Sammamish River.
According to the order for relinquishment, Ecology believes Willows Run is using water that it does not have a right to use.
The golf course complex is using up to 50 million gallons of water a year from either the Sammamish River or from ground water that feeds the river. The golf course is now using water that hadn't been used for approximately 20 years, from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. By state law, water must be used continuously. If there is a lapse of five or more consecutive years, the water must be relinquished.
"Using this 50 million gallons of water for the first time in years is a very big problem when the river already doesn't have enough water for fish," said Keith Phillips, manager for Ecology's Water Resources Program. "In recent years, we've said ‘no' to other people who asked to take more water out of the Sammamish River basin, and it wouldn't be fair to them if we allowed the golf course to use this water."
In the late 1970s, Ecology closed the Sammamish River area to further water-use withdrawals because even then there was evidence that salmon and bull trout did not have enough water. Now those fish are on the federal endangered-species list.
Phillips expressed concern that the additional use of water could also take water away from other businesses or homes that have a valid right to use water.
"We're very disappointed that we had to initiate this relinquishment action," said Dan Swenson, another water resources manager with Ecology. "For the past year we've been working with Willows Run and other groups to get the golf course a valid, reliable source of water. Unfortunately, our efforts didn't pan out."
Swenson explained that Willows Run has an option for immediately getting water by buying it from the city of Redmond. Ecology also supports efforts by King County to make treated waste water available in the Sammamish River area to irrigate the Willows Run golf complex, parks, farms, nurseries, and other operations in the area, said Swenson.
Willows Run has 30 days to appeal the order to the Pollution Control Hearings Board or stop using the water. If the golf complex appeals the order, the law allows the golf course to keep using the water until the appeal action has run its course through the courts.
CONTACT: Mary Getchell, Public Information Manager, (360) 407-6157; pager, (360) 534-8590
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
