STC Meeting

June 2, 2005

WDFW 600 Capitol Way N

Steve Craig, Mark Swartout, Lori Morris, Bruce Jones, Jim Hill, Brian Peck, Joe Caldwell, Lonnie Crumley, Chad Stussy, and Lee Napier were present.

For the CBP meeting, include something that highlights the necessity to have most members present.

Jones asked if the STC would consider a proposal by the QIN to the CBP.  This proposal would include the QIN assuming responsibility and long term support and maintenance of the EDT model.

Napier asked if that would include support to the TAG and the Corps Ecosystem Restoration project?

Swartout asked how it would complement the Tetra Tech work proposed as part of the Corps’ project

Craig suggested a brief proposal in writing to the STC and then forward that to the CBP.  Jones will take into consideration the group’s feedback and prepare a proposal.

Statement of Work for Phase IV

Napier distributed a revised copy.

The group made the following comments:

Summary of Plan Strategies

• Line 2 - delete increasing.
• Lines 3 and 4 - change page numbers to 19-28
• Line 2 - add meet before minimum
• Line 3 - add provide before future 

Plan Obligations           

• Line 1- change entity to entities
• Line 3 and 4- strike please note that and add and consent of those effected parties.
• Section B
• Line 2 add and initiate project implementation

Task One

• Delete With assistance to Ecology and add the list of Group A water systems will be provided by the Department of Health with assistance from the Department of Ecology.
• Add to the beginning-“The list of Group A water systems” and add at the end “a summary report of this task”. 
• Can we get the schedule for WSP updates?
• Change the percent of time allocated to this task?

Task Two

• Add a. Identify Timelines, b. identify interim milestones, c. identify oversight responsibility, d. identity specific funding mechanisms, e. identify any needed interlocal agreements, rules or ordinances.
• Delete #2.
• Describe Plan 2 Fund either through a text description of a footnote. 
• Always include detailed with implementation plan reference.

Task Three

• Strike # 1 and 2 because implementation is the focus and it might not include grant writing. 

The STC then reordered the Tasks making task 4 the first task

Actions that Need Action

Water Quantity Objectives page 4

· Clarify WA state water law to citizens (include as a subtask for work plan action 9, task 7)

· Conduct a water balance for the Basin, including complete groundwater data. ( include as a subtask for work plan action 21, task 7)

· Identify tools available to meet this goal. (New Objective/work plan for Instream Flows include the following Actions as tasks 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 19 )

Water Quality Objective page 4

· Consider improving water quality through increasing water quantity. (Move this as a task on the last objective below)

· Implement current and future water quality cleanup plans.         (Task for Action 41)

· Develop strategies to identify and prevent water quality degradation. (This could become a task under Action 31)

o Actions  33, 39, 40, became tasks under this objective

WMP Action 7-  Needs a goal. (General Goal #2 – Focus on cost-effective environmental improvements and efforts based on available funds…)

The following Actions, which the STC felt were tasks, were not paired with an objective: 

¨ Action 4- The Partnership encourages the development of regional water supply, or coordinated water system planning.  (Task for Actions 3 and 10)

¨ Action 6- The Tribes and Ecology are meeting to develop language (related to adjudication) as a recommendation.  Note:  This language continues to evolve as discussion occurs.  Updates are brought back to the Partnership. (Move as a task under the new objective from above “Identify tools available to meet this goal”.)

¨ Action 11- Refine and promote a toolbox for municipal water purveyors to assist them in meeting their water supply responsibilities while also contributing to protection of instream base flows.  (Move as a task under the new objective from above “Identify tools available to meet this goal”.)

¨ Action 12- Initiate a detailed assessment of water claims in the Chehalis Basin to attain an initial idea as to their validity.  This assessment would expand upon and supplement the information collected under RCW 90.82.070. (Move as a task under the new objective from above “Identify tools available to meet this goal”.)

¨ Action 15- State should enforce current regulations related to exempt wells.  (Move this as a task for Action 9).

¨ Action 16- Evaluate current regulations on exempt wells for adequacy in protecting surface waters (quantity and quality). (Move as a task under the new objective from above “Identify tools available to meet this goal” and or change the recommendation under Exempt Wells section to a Goal and this could become an objective.)

¨ Action 19- Prepare a study comparing the use of exempt wells per parcel to the use of community systems (Class B).  In particular, it should address the benefits that Class B community systems have for water quality. (Move as a task under the new objective from above “Identify tools available to meet this goal” and or change the recommendation under Exempt Wells section to a Goal and this could become an objective.)

¨ Action 29- Thurston County adopted local policies protecting water supply in agriculture designated lands:  • Adequate water supply should be retained on and provided to designated agricultural land of long-term commercial significance and other important agricultural areas; and • Ecology should not grant permits for transfers of existing water rights from designated agricultural lands, unless long-term arrangements are made for water supply to maintain agricultural use, including suitable surrogate sources. (Task for Action 36)

¨ Action 30- The availability of water for designated agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance is important for the agricultural use of those lands. If Mason County or Grays Harbor County adopt local policies protecting water supply for such lands which provide that adequate water supply should be retained on and provided to such lands; then Ecology should not grant permits for transfers of existing water rights from such lands identified in the policies, unless long-term arrangements are made for a suitable water supply to maintain agricultural use, including, but not limited to, surrogate water supplies.  A task that is determined by conditions outside of this planning process and is dependent upon action by the counties. (Task for Action 36)

¨ Action 33- Develop a program to clean up water quality impairments before TMDLs need to be implemented. (Task for Actions 31 and 41)

¨ Action 39- Develop and distribute public information on inspection and care of septic systems.  The Water Quality Committee developed a list of tasks for this Action. (Task for Action 31 and 41)

¨ Action 40- Develop a prioritized list of TMDL projects where 303d impairment listings already exist.  The DIP, Table 8, lists the monitoring/cleanup site priorities. (Task for Action 41)

Goal-Bridge the gap between existing stream flows and target flows for fish, wildlife, and human use. Objective- Identify tools available to meet this goals.  Tasks 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 19

The next meeting is July 7 from 9:30 to noon at WDFW.