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Department of Ecology News Release - June 8, 2007
07-150
YAKIMA - An assessment of where new off-channel storage might be suitable on the Columbia River has been completed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).
According to the study, the Lower Crab Creek basin in Grant County is the most viable candidate to support a large, off-channel storage facility and merits being carried forward if a more detailed feasibility study is conducted. Also analyzed were Hawk Creek in Lincoln County, Foster Creek in Douglas County, and Sand Hollow, also in Grant County.
The study sought to identify where new water could be stored to augment irrigation supplies during dry years as well as secure water for future irrigation, improve flows for fish and set aside water for future municipal, domestic and industrial uses.
According to the study, construction and operational costs would be significantly less at the Crab Creek site than at Sand Hollow or Hawk Creek. The site also posed the lowest risk and the best geology for construction of a dam and reservoir. Early on, Foster Creek was found to have geotechnical flaws and eliminated from consideration.
The appraisal was conducted as part of an ongoing commitment by the state of Washington and federal government to evaluate the potential for new storage in the Columbia River Basin. Those efforts have been bolstered by legislation passed in 2006, funding development of water resources on the Columbia River.
"Long-term storage is an important component of a balanced water management program on the Columbia River," explained Derek Sandison, central regional director for Ecology. "Other essential elements of a successful program include reusing conserved water, supporting smaller water storage projects, encouraging water markets and improving how water is managed now."
Ecology, Reclamation, and Columbia Basin project irrigation districts are reviewing the assessment and will consult with Gov. Chris Gregoire, the state's congressional delegation, stakeholders, agencies, and other entities, including the Columbia River Basin Policy Advisory Group, before deciding whether to seek federal authorization and funding for a feasibility study and Environmental Impact Statement on any one of the sites.
"Based on cost and technical criteria, the Crab Creek site represents a potentially viable location for a reservoir," said Bill Gray, a manager with Reclamation. "However, construction of a facility at the Crab Creek site has significant environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural impacts that would need to be thoroughly evaluated in an environmental impact statement."
In 2004, state, Reclamation and the Columbia Basin project irrigation districts entered into an agreement to promote improved water management on the Columbia River and to explore new storage opportunities.
In December of 2005, the two agencies identified 11 sites along the entire Columbia River corridor to appraise for storage. Based on a number of criteria -- including potential storage capacity, location, known geologic integrity and other environmental and social issues -- the four upper basin sites were identified for more in-depth study.
Each of the potential storage sites has a predicted reservoir capacity of at least one million acre-feet, which is in line with future water needs in the Columbia Basin. In addition, each is above Priest Rapids Dam, which will allow it to be easily integrated into Reclamation's Columbia Basin Project.
A copy of the new assessment will be available online at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/cwp/cr_storage.html
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Ecology media contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610 Bureau of Reclamation media contact: Norbert Ries, (509) 575-5848
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
