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Local News

First municipal, domestic, industrial water rights issued from Lake Roosevelt

By NCBI
Dec 13, 2011

The Washington Department of Ecology has approved the first water rights for municipal, domestic and industrial purposes from the Lake Roosevelt storage pool behind Grand Coulee Dam under the state's Columbia River water development program, and dozens more are being prepared for release in 2012.

The city of Pateros will receive 40 acre-feet (13 million gallons) of additional water per year to use for parks that will free up other city water rights and allow for new hookups supporting up to 80 new homes.

Gail Howe, mayor of Pateros, said, "We've had an application in since 1993 for additional water rights. This water will allow us to meet our needs now and in the future and also keep watering the parks that are an asset to our community. This is a win-win situation for the city of Pateros and our council is thrilled to have entered into a contract for this water."

The Pateros water permit is just the first of a dozen new water rights to be issued this month by Ecology's Office of Columbia River (OCR). Totaling some 200 acre-feet of water, the permits are cued up to support housing developments in Lincoln County, a recreational park near the Beebe Bridge in Douglas County and a potato washing facility in Walla Walla County.

"It's no question; water is the lifeblood of our communities in Central and Eastern Washington," said Sen. Linda Parlette (R-Wenatchee). "Towns like Pateros, Brewster and Bridgeport have been working to improve their water situation for years and I'm thrilled to see that the Columbia River Basin water management legislation we passed in 2006 is helping ensure that water will be available to them in the future."

In total, the Lake Roosevelt Incremental Storage Release Program is making 25,000 acre-feet (8.1 billion gallons) of water available for new municipal and industrial (M&I) uses. Permits for the balance of M&I water to be issued next year will benefit cities like Bridgeport, Pasco, Kennewick, Richland and West Richland, industrial users like Mercer Canyons, and small housing developments along the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.

"These water rights are jumpstarting the dreams that were put on hold while we were fighting over water," said Gov. Chris Gregoire. "Today, the farmer, fish biologist, environmental advocate, county commissioner and tribal member are sitting around the same table and helping us to find ways to meet the many water needs of Eastern Washington. It's a testament to the can-do spirit of our state."

The Lake Roosevelt permits are the first non-interruptible water rights to be issued on the Columbia River since salmon species were listed as endangered two decades ago. Attempts to issue water rights were stymied in legal battles until the passage of a compromise bill that provided funding for new water projects in Eastern Washington.

"Earlier this summer we dedicated a pipeline to deliver water to Odessa farmers, now we're fulfilling the needs of small developers, rural towns and industries up and down the river," said Rep. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake). "It's very encouraging to see new water permits being issued, as it's very important for economic development in Eastern Washington."

Ecology's Office of Columbia River has been developing access to water through projects that balance the water needs of irrigated agriculture, growing communities and streamflows for fish.

In partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Lake Roosevelt storage release program has developed 88,000 acre feet (28.7 billion gallons) of water for agricultural, municipal and industrial uses and 44,500 acre-feet (14.5 billion gallons) of water to support instream fisheries and is predicted to add more than 35,000 jobs and $3 billion to the Eastern Washington economy.

Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant said, "We're not just delivering water, we're delivering on a promise that supports our state's economy, environmental values and quality of life. Legislators and leaders on both sides of the aisle took a risk that we could make this work. I can only hope we'll continue to build on these successes in every corner of the state where water supply is contentious."


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