Olympia-Yelm-Lacey Water Supply Project

The Department of Ecology is issuing significant water right permits to ensure that communities in Thurston County’s water-limited Nisqually and Deschutes watersheds have enough water to support growth and economic development for the next three to four decades.

The water supply package is the result of a multi-year, collaborative effort assisted by Ecology involving the cities of Olympia, Yelm and Lacey and the Nisqually Tribes and is the first of its kind in Western Washington. The permits include substantial environmental protections for fish-bearing streams and other area water bodies in the form of mitigation.

As of March 15, 2012, Ecology has approved:

Three water right transfers for the city of Olympia from McAllister and Abbott springs to the McAllister well field just east of McAllister Springs near Lake St. Clair.
Six applications for Lacey to gain nearly 6.6 million gallons of new water to meet the anticipated demand from build-out of its service area at currently planned densities as required by the state Growth Management Act.

The third portion of the package, a proposal for Yelm to receive rights to an additional 840,000 gallons per day of new water has been appealed by a Yelm-area resident to the Pollution Control Hearings Board. Resolution to the appeal is expected during the first half of 2012. If approved, the permit will meet Yelm’s anticipated growth over the next 20 years.

Ecology News Release - January 3, 2012 Ecology issues significant water rights, praises innovative collaborative agreement to allocate water in closed basin.

Final Reports of Examination

Final Reports of Examination are Ecology’s final decisions and may be appealed to the Pollution Control Hearing Board. Decisions can be viewed on the Southwest Region Final Reports of Examination web page that includes information pertinent to the 30 day appeal period.

Links to the decisions are also provided here for your convenience:

G2-29165 Report of Exam for City of Lacey - posted on February 16, 2012 (Approved)
G2-29304 Report of Exam for City of Lacey - posted on February 16, 2012 (Approved)
G2-30250 - Report of Exam for City of Lacey, posted December 20, 2011 (Approved)
G2-30251 - Report of Exam for City of Lacey, posted December 20, 2011 (Approved)
G2-29085 Report of Exam for City of Yelm - posted October 21, 2011 (Appealed)
G2-30248 Report of Exam for City of Lacey - posted October 21, 2011 (Approved)
G2-30249 Report of Exam for City of Lacey - posted October 21, 2011 (Approved)
CS2-SWC8030 Report of Exam for City of Olympia - posted October 21, 2011 (Approved)
CS2-01105 Report of Exam for City of Olympia - posted October 21, 2011 (Approved)
CS2-SWP10191 Report of Exam for City of Olympia - posted October 21, 2011 (Approved)

Cities’ plan to obtain additional and more secure water supplies

Olympia seeks to transfer water rights for 26 million gallons a day from McAllister and Abbott springs to a nearby well field it will develop with the Nisqually Indian Tribe. The McAllister well field will be significantly more protected, more productive and will meet water supply needs for generations to come. McAllister Springs is vulnerable to potential contamination and will require extensive treatment if it is not retired within the next few years.
Lacey has been trying since the mid-1990s to secure water rights critical to meet the needs of a rapidly growing city in conjunction with its efforts to avoid a building moratorium through an aggressive water conservation program and water purchased from Olympia. Approval of the water supply package will add 7,392 acre-feet yearly to Lacey’s water supply. At the present time, only 1,666 acre-feet (the first two of a total of six ROEs) have been released for public comment. The remaining four ROEs (totaling 5,726 acre-feet) will be released for public comment soon.
Yelm is requesting a portion of the new water right it applied for in 1994. Approval would add 942 acre-feet of water from a new, more protected water source and serve the community for the next 20 years.

How mitigation will be achieved in the Olympia-Yelm-Lacey water package

Deschutes River – Olympia, Yelm and Lacey are jointly providing mitigation on the Deschutes River by purchasing the 197-acre Ron Smith farm and its water rights near Lake Lawrence south of Yelm. The farm’s irrigation water rights will be retired to help offset the effects new city wells will have on Deschutes River stream flows and riparian improvements along the farm’s Deschutes River shoreline will provide additional “out-of-kind” mitigation. Additional irrigation rights are also being purchased.
Woodland Creek – The Woodland Creek Regional Reclaimed Water Infiltration system will be jointly constructed by the cities of Olympia and Lacey. Reclaimed water will be used to recharge Woodland Creek and increase its flows north of Martin Way.
McAllister Creek – City of Olympia’s water rights transfer will move water use away from McAllister and Abbott springs to the nearby McAllister well field. This will increase surface water discharge at the springs and restore stream flow in the creek.
Nisqually River – Although minimum flows will not be affected in the Nisqually River due to river flow being controlled by Alder Dam, the Nisqually Tribe through its agreement with Tacoma Power, will augment flows if necessary under low flow conditions, has adopted a groundwater ordinance on the reservation, will relocate shallow wells near the river, and will also invest in ongoing riparian improvements in the Muck and Ohop creek areas.