  |
|
|
Department of Ecology News Release - October 22, 2002
02-197
OLYMPIA - In an effort to better meet the water needs of a diverse population, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) today formally filed a proposal to develop a new way for managing the waters of the Columbia River.
"I can't think of a greater symbol of our region's prosperity than the resources provided by the Columbia River," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. "From power generation to a rebounding fishery to irrigation for farming and water for growing communities, the river is literally a lifeline reaching well beyond our state's boundaries. It's time we took another look at how this vital resource is managed in the 21st Century.
Today the agency filed what is called a CR-101, a mechanism for launching the state's public rule-making process. The proposal calls for amending the "Instream Resources Protection Program for the Main Stem Columbia River" and the "Water Resources Program for the John Day-McNary Pools Reach of the Columbia River." The proposal replaces an earlier CR-101 filed by the department in July 2001.
The decision comes in response to a rule petition filed by the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association, the city of Brewster and several state legislators, and interest expressed by environmental groups as well.
"Competition is the best word I can think of to describe the conflicts that continue to escalate along the river," Fitzsimmons explained, citing the need to support endangered fisheries and also deal with hundreds of pending applications for new water withdrawals from the Columbia.
"Last year's energy crisis and the down-turn in the economy have only intensified the need for a sound management plan," he said.
From Dec. 21, 1991, to July 27, 1997, there was a moratorium on new withdrawals from the Columbia River due to concerns about a dwindling salmon population.
In 1998, Ecology adopted a rule amendment that calls for the department to consult with fish agencies, tribes and local governments before approving new withdrawals from the river. Ecology subsequently began working on a batch of water-right requests and was ready to issue decisions last fall when a court order put a stop to the process. A Benton County court has made a preliminary ruling that the state's existing consultation process is "unworkable" and the agency remains in litigation over the proposed decisions.
"There's got to be a better way to manage the river than to rely on piecemeal court proceedings every time water-right decisions are made," Fitzsimmons noted. "By initiating rule-making, we hope to involve people throughout the region in crafting a plan that allows the basin's economy to grow, diversify and be sustained."
Fitzsimmons noted the rule-making proposal is a direct result of the Governor's Columbia River Regional Initiative. Through a rule amendment, the initiative calls for enhancing both access to and the reliability of water supplies, as well as addressing the needs of fish.
The National Academy of Sciences has been hired to review existing science to determine what conditions Columbia River fish need to thrive and survive, and to advise Ecology about whether those conditions are affected by water use. In addition, the agency plans to analyze how water use is related to economic productivity in the region. Contacts also are being made with river managers, water users and affected parties to better understand how to meet the region's economic and environmental goals.
A key consideration, Fitzsimmons noted, will be the future management of the John Day and McNary reservations. The reservations were set aside by the state in 1980 for future allocation in the Tri-Cities and Horse Heaven Hills for irrigation and municipal uses.
"Ultimately, our goal is to ensure an adequate supply of water to support growing communities, a sound economy and healthy environment," Fitzsimmons said. "To get there we must set aside our differences and meet the challenge of addressing these important needs."
Contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610
The following four documents are available at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/ColumbiaRiverInitiative/colrivinithome.html:
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
