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Department of Ecology News Release - May 5, 2006
06-081
Ecology seeking input on Columbia River water management
OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) is hosting
four open houses in May to receive public input on how to implement the Columbia
River water management legislation passed this year.
House Bill 2860 directs Ecology to lead an effort to improve water management
practices on the Columbia River.
The workshops are part of an initial scoping process that will result in an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Columbia River Water Management
Program. Interested agencies, tribes and the public will have the opportunity to
comment on issues they would like to see focused on in the EIS. Scoping comments
will be accepted through June 5, 2006.
Staff from Ecology as well as outside facilitators will be available at the
open houses to answer questions and share insight on the implementation of the
bill. The open houses will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at these locations:
- May 17 - Wenatchee Wenatchee Convention Center (The Coast Wenatchee
Center Hotel), Gala Room, 201 N. Wenatchee Ave.
- May 18 - Colville Agricultural Trade Center, 317 W. Astor
- May 22 - Moses Lake Fire Department Multi-Purpose Room, 701 E. Third
Ave.
- May 23 - Kennewick Three Rivers Convention Center, Meeting Room C, 7016
W. Grandridge Blvd.
Topics to be addressed include:
- Developing a way to deliver Columbia Basin Project water to lands in the
Odessa Ground Water Management Subarea (Odessa Subarea) currently served by
local ground water.
- Creating a secondary route for delivering water to the Potholes
Reservoir from Pinto Dam to help ensure reliability of water supply.
- Evaluating the feasibility of new off-channel storage facilities to
augment supplies of water for instream and out-of-stream use in the Columbia
River Basin.
- Continuing efforts to secure water from additional drawdown of Lake
Roosevelt, including work with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville
Reservation to identify and implement appropriate mitigation.
- Conducting water conservation projects in cooperation with the
Washington Conservation Commission, conservation districts, irrigation
districts, and other local partners.
- Creating a water resources information system for the Columbia River to
support effective mainstem water resource planning and management;
- Administering a program for entering into voluntary regional agreements
to provide new water for out-of-stream use, streamlining permitting
processes, and protecting instream flows.
More information on the legislation is available online at:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/cwp/cwphome.html Comments may be
directed to Derek Sandison, Dept. of Ecology, 15 W. Yakima Ave., Suite 200,
Yakima, WA 98902; or by email to:
dsan461@ecy.wa.gov .
Media contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder (509) 575-2610 or Nelsa Brodie
(360) 407-7139
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
