Ecology Department proposes to fund more irrigation improvements

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - Jan. 15, 2003

03-010

Ecology Department proposes to fund more irrigation improvements

OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) is seeking public comment on several rule amendments that are designed help public irrigation districts obtain more funding to repair or improve their existing water-delivery systems to farms.

In 1980, voters approved Referendum 38, which authorized the state to issue $125 million in bonds to support improvements for public water-supply systems and public irrigation districts. Ecology is responsible for overseeing $50 million in bond funding for public irrigation districts, while the Department of Health administers the other $75 million to help utilities.

Ecology adopted a rule in 1990 that outlined the financial criteria for irrigation districts, including capping the amount of loan and grant awards that individual systems can receive. However, since the rule was adopted, competing demands on water supplies have made it more difficult to obtain additional water for agricultural purposes.

One way irrigation districts can manage water more effectively is by improving their existing conveyance systems. Unfortunately, many irrigation districts have already reached their funding caps under the department's 1990 rule.

To help irrigation systems get more funding from the Referendum 38 bond fund, Ecology is proposing to:

Raise the funding limit for individual systems from $1.5 million to $2.5 million and allow irrigation districts that have repaid their loans to once again be eligible for funding.
Exempt Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project proposals from any funding cap, since the state signed an agreement to provide $17.5 million toward the project. Created in 1995, the Yakima basin project is designed to improve water supplies for irrigation and increase stream flows for fish in the basin. The project gets funding from Ecology, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and participating irrigation districts.
Provide flexibility to increase grant monies for projects.
Restrict funding for emergency projects to only loans.

The public-comment period for the proposed rule changes starts today and ends Feb. 15. The department will conduct three public hearings, all beginning at 7 p.m., to share information and collect comments:

Feb. 4 in Yakima -Department of Ecology regional office, 15 W. Yakima Ave.
Feb. 5 in Moses Lake -Police Justice Building, Council Chambers, 401 S. Balsam.
Feb. 6 - Chelan County Planning Building, conference room 204, 411 Washington St.

To receive a copy of the proposed amendments or to submit comments electronically, visit Ecology's Web site at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/wrhome.html. Written comments and questions should be mailed to Rebecca Inman, Dept. of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, Wash., 98504-7600, or faxed to 360-407-6574.

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Media contact: Curt Hart, Public Information Manager, 360-407-7139; pager, 360-971-9610

For more information about the rule: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/wrhome.html