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Department of Ecology News Release - April 8, 2008
08-087
ELLENSBURG – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and Kittitas County have signed a groundwater management agreement that will guide how decisions are made on residential developments served by exempt wells.
Rapid growth in the county has resulted in a proliferation of the wells that are exempt from water right permits. That spurred a citizens group to petition Ecology last year and seek a temporary moratorium on the wells. As an alternative to the moratorium Ecology and the Kittitas County Commissioners negotiated the groundwater agreement over seven months and Ecology hosted four public meetings to address water supply issues in upper Kittitas County.
“This agreement represents a compromise that allows continued responsible development and enhanced protection of water resources in the county,” said Tom Tebb, water resources section manager in Ecology’s Central Region Office. “I want to thank the board of county commissioners and the citizens of Kittitas County for their deep involvement in this process.”
A key component of the agreement is a groundwater study that will define the hydrogeology of upper Kittitas County. Gov. Chris Gregoire asked for and received $300,000 in funding from the 2008 Legislature for the groundwater study. The governor also requested and received $383,000 in funding for Ecology and Kittitas County to implement provisions of the groundwater agreement.
Ecology will hire a watermaster for the region and the county will add staff and purchase equipment to monitor and collect data on groundwater use in western Kittitas County. Senior water right holders have been concerned that rapid rural development will impair their water supplies. The agreement will help ensure a water supply for present and future users.
The final agreement outlines management measures that will be put in place while the groundwater study is under way. Now, rural developments relying on permit-exempt wells for their water supply will be allowed only one groundwater exemption. Development applications will be required to show how all domestic and lawn/garden water use in a development won’t exceed 5,000 gallons per day. Water metering will be required.
The signed agreement may be viewed online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/cds/current/ and http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/cro/kittitas_wp.html
Hard copies of the agreement are available at the Kittitas County Development Services Center in Ellensburg at 411 North Ruby St. and at Ecology’s office in Yakima at 15 W. Yakima Ave., Suite 200, Yakima, WA 98902.
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Contact information: Tom Tebb, Department of Ecology, water resources program, 509-574-3989
Darryl Piercy, Kittitas County director of Community Development Services, 509-933-8228
Media Contact: Dan Partridge, Department of Ecology, 360-407-7139.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
