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Department of Ecology News Release - February 15, 2007
07-029
YAKIMA - A programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) just released by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) provides direction for administering the state's new Columbia River Water Management Program.
Over the last year, Ecology has sought input on how to carry out legislation passed in February of 2006 directing the state to develop new water supplies for both in-stream and out of stream uses on the Columbia River.
The EIS concludes that future water management on the Columbia River will be multi-faceted and not dependent on a single approach.
Access to new water supplies will come through conservation, acquiring existing water rights, expanding storage capacities and entering into long-term water supply agreements. Priority will be given to projects that are cost-effective, efficient, produce water quickly, as well as benefit both people and fish.
"A successful Columbia River water management program must benefit both the economic and environmental vitality of Eastern Washington," said Ecology Director Jay Manning. "We are putting the building blocks in place to secure new water to meet both of the needs."
Ecology relied on input from state, federal, tribal, environmental partners, local governments, watershed groups and the general public in writing the document. An electronic version of the programmatic EIS is available online at www.ecy.wa.gov, click on the "Managing our Water," icon. A hard copy may be obtained by calling (509) 454-7673.
Over the past decade, Columbia River water transactions ground to a halt in the face of jeopardizing endangered salmon populations and competing water interests. Legislation passed in February of 2006 authorized up to $200 million to be invested in new water acquisition projects and in support of new water allocations from the Columbia River.
Already, funds from the program are supporting a plan to restore stream flows and fish stocks in the Walla Walla River, and provide water to irrigators when they need it.
Other components of the program include a plan for delivering water to Odessa Subarea farmlands, continued study of off-channel storage sites, providing drought relief for interruptible water-right holders and implementing voluntary regional water agreements.
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Media contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
