Yakima River Basin Integrated Plan; By: James Browitt

The Yakima River Basin Integrated Plan was the predominant topic at the Washington State Water Resources Association annual conference, with legislators, agency representatives, and stakeholders alike discussing the status of an ecological restoration project that supporters maintain is unprecedented in the United States.

Conference speakers, including state Rep. Judy Warnick and state Sen. Jim Honeyford as well as members of the plan’s working group, particularly focused on three implementation-phase issues: a state-budget allocation of $137 million for funding from 2013-15; the purchase of 50,000 acres of private forestland in the Teanaway drainage by the Dept. of Natural Resources; and the development of environmental impact statements for proposed projects. The U.S. Dept. of Reclamation and the Washington State Dept. of Ecology are soliciting comments on the EIS scope of three projects proposed in Kittitas County–Cle Elum Pool Raise, Kachess Drought Relief Pumping, and Keechelus to Kachess Conveyance–through Dec. 16. Information on the submission process can be found at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/cwp/ybip.html.

A collaborative project which gained traction in 2011 after four decades of scatter shot development, the Integrated Plan identifies seven elements in its approach to water management: fish passage, fish habitat enhancement, modification of existing structures and operations, surface storage, market-based reallocation, groundwater storage, and enhanced water conservation. Having integrated input from federal, state, tribal and municipal entities as well as environmental and agricultural interests, the plan is anticipated to cost as much as $6 billion over 30 years. The plan’s website is http://yakimabasinplan.org/.

The 68^th edition of the WSWRA annual conference and membership meeting was held Dec. 4-6 at Spokane.

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