BOARD APPROVED: 6,400 applications for changes in water use,, new water tights are pending with agency The Chronicle, June 14, 1999
KENNEWICK (AP) - Franklin County is likely to get more dairies and Walla Walla County some increase in development under actions approved by the state Ecology Department.
Some hope the actions will be followed by more moves to unclog the state's backlog of about 1,400 applications for changes in water use and about 5,000 new applications for new water rights.
Applications for new rights are more complex and take longer to process. Officials have yet to determine how to assure enough water for fish before allowing additional withdrawals from rivers and streams.
For that reason, many - especially in Eastern Washington view transfers and use changes as the key to future development.
In 1997 the Legislature authorized the formation of county conservancy boards to act on change applications, subject to Ecology Department review,
Because of concern by environmental groups, however, the agency granted permission only to Lewis and Benton counties to form the boards initially as a pilot study.
A similar request by Franklin County, which abuts Benton, was initially denied. State officials said they wanted to evaluate the first two panels before allowing more.
On April 21 Franklin County officials threatened to sue. On Friday, the state agency granted authorization.
County Commission chairman board Frank Brock said a three-member board could be trained and ready to begin work by the fall.
He predicted that several dairy operators from outside the county would apply for access to existing water rights.
"In the eastern part of the county they have wide-open spaces," he said. "(Dairy operators) just have to find the right spot."
Western Washington dairy farmers are fed up with urban encroachment and regulations have been stymied moving across the Cascades by delays of five to 10 years in approval water-right changes according to recent news release by the state Dairy Federation.
In a separate action Friday, department announced that water rights change applications in Walla County would be moved ahead of applications for new water rights. Earlier version of the action would have forced people give water to get quicker action. The final version makes that one option. Others include restoration of stream banks and actions to protect water ways from siltation.
The new rules take effect immediately and may be extended to counties, Ecology spokeswoman Mary Getchell said.
"This program has been signed with the local community to what's going to work for them at the same time to address instream uses for fish, too," Getchell said.
Rep. Bill Grant, D-Walla Walla said the change would help only few of those whose applications pending. About 60 change-use cations are pending in the Walla Walla basin
"I don't know if the department will ever get there and start processing those claims," Grant said. "I sure wish they would."
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