FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 25, 2002
02-122
OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has awarded grants worth up to $100,000 each to 10 watershed-planning groups across the state to help them make stream-flow recommendations for rivers and creeks in their watersheds.
The recommendations will be an important first step toward determining how much water is needed within a specific basin to protect fish as future water-right decisions go forward. It is likely that to achieve targeted flows, the state and other entities will have to purchase, lease or receive donations of existing water rights for some/many streams in the state.
In Western Washington, local watershed planning groups representing the Deschutes, Elwha-Dungeness, Lower and Upper Chehalis, Lower Skagit and Nooksack basins have been awarded stream-flow grants. In Eastern Washington, grants were awarded to planning units for the Hangman, Kettle River, Little Spokane, Moses Coulee and Foster Creek, and Walla Walla watersheds.
A single watershed planning group represents both the Lower and Upper Chehalis basins and another unit covers both the Moses Coulee and Foster Creek watersheds, which are separate but contiguous basins.
Planning groups generally comprise representatives from local governments, tribes and other interests. Those receiving stream-flow grants will use the money to research and gather new information about their watersheds and use the data to develop stream-flow recommendations, which will be forwarded to Ecology for final review.
Another 19 watershed-planning units have told Ecology they also intend to apply for stream-flow grants, which were authorized by the 2001 state legislature. The agency is still evaluating some of applications and has yet to receive others.
"It's hard to believe that the Evergreen State could have water-supply problems, but it's true," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. "It's vitally important that we work together to determine how much water is needed to keep our creeks and rivers healthy for fish and still have enough for farms, communities and other uses."
Fitzsimmons said he expects it will take at least a year for the 10 planning units currently beginning stream-flow work to complete their recommendations, none of which can directly affect previously issued water rights within a basin.
By the end of the summer, local watershed planning efforts will be under way in 44 of Washington's 62 watershed basins to develop plans for managing water supplies to support human and environmental needs.
In watersheds where planning units have decided not to work on stream flows, Ecology will make its own flow recommendations. However, whether a stream-flow recommendation comes from Ecology or from a local watershed-planning unit, final stream flows must be set by Ecology through the state rule-making process.
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Contact: Curt Hart, public information manager, 360-407-7139; pager, 360-455-2073.
Ecology's Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov
Watershed planning Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/watershed/index.html
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