Department of Ecology News Release - Dec. 13, 2001 01-197
OLYMPIA - Under a law adopted earlier this year, 31 watershed-planning groups across Washington have applied for funding to make stream-flow recommendations for rivers and creeks in their watershed areas.
The 31 applications or notices of intent submitted to the Department of Ecology (Ecology) represent half of the 62 watershed basins in Washington.
Efforts are underway in 39 of those basins to develop plans for managing water supplies for both environmental and human needs.
During the 2001 legislative session, the state legislature authorized Ecology to award up to $100,000 to each watershed-planning group to help set stream flows in their basins. By making flow recommendations, local governments, tribes and other interests will play a crucial role in making sure enough water is maintained in rivers and creeks to protect fish and support other uses, regardless of season or rainfall.
"Based on this tremendous response, it is clear that communities across the state are accepting the challenge to the meet the water needs of people and fish," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. "A key step is to determine how much water needs to remain in streams to keep fish healthy and how much is available for homes, farms, and other economic uses."
Each watershed-planning unit includes representatives from cities, counties, tribes, state agencies and other agricultural, environmental and recreational interests within each watershed area. Some local planning entities have been studying other important environmental issues in their basins, such as identifying pollution sources and documenting important fish and wildlife habitat.
Under state law, the planning units had until Dec. 1 to tell Ecology whether they intended to apply for money to make stream-flow recommendations.
In the eight watersheds where planning units did not opt to set flows, Ecology will make its own flow recommendations on a priority basis. Whether a stream-flow recommendation comes from Ecology or from a local watershed-planning unit, the final stream flows must be set by Ecology through the state rule-making process.
The last time Ecology established a rule to set stream flows was in March 2001 for most of the Skagit River basin. Prior to that, the agency had not adopted a stream-flow rule for almost 15 years. While Ecology has set minimum stream flows in 18 of the state's 62 basins, some local planning units are looking for funding to set new flows within their watersheds.
The locations of the watershed planning units that have asked for funding are:
Northwest Washington -- Lower Skagit, Nooksack, and Upper Skagit.
Puget Sound -- Deschutes, Kennedy-Goldsborough, Kitsap, and Nisqually.
Olympic Peninsula -- Elwha-Dungeness, Lyre-Hoh, Quilcene-Snow, Skokomish-Dosewallips, and Soleduck-Hoh.
Southwest Washington -- Cowlitz, Grays-Elochoman, Lewis, Lower Chehalis, Salmon-Washougal, Upper Chehalis, and Wind-White Salmon.
Central Washington -- Entiat, Foster, Lower Yakima, Moses Coulee, Upper Yakima, and Wenatchee.
Eastern Washington -- Hangman, Kettle, Little Spokane, Middle Spokane, Upper Crab-Wilson, and Walla Walla.
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