P1253037255geEVU

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Meeting WashingtonsWater Needs
Challenges and Opportunities
Doug McChesney Water Resources Program Washington
Department of Ecology September 28, 2004
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Some little-known facts . . .

• Washington smallest state west of the Mississippi
  River
• Washington has third largest population of the
  western states

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Some further background . . .

• Wet winters and dry summers
• Climate linked to geography
• Water supplies already stressed
• Many streams over-appropriated
• Competition for water on increase

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Photos courtesy USDA NRCS
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The challenges

• Serving population and economic growth

• Preserving agricultural industry
• Protecting endangered salmon
• Meeting other new water demands

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Simulation of future snowpack
April 1 snowpack
1950-1999
Source Andrew W. Wood, University of Washington
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Simulation of future snowpack
April 1 snowpack
-59
2050
Source Andrew W. Wood, University of Washington
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Simulation of future snowpack
April 1 snowpack
-72
2090
Source Andrew W. Wood, University of Washington
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Changes in water availability
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
6 5 4 3 2 1 0
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220 200 180 160 140 120 100

Water Use
Precipitation
Precipitation (inches)
Water Use (mgd)
? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?
? ? ?
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Source Seattle Public Utilities
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Exploring many options

• New storage
• ASR aquifer recharge
• Water reclamation
• Demand management
• Mitigation
• Water acquisitions
• Desalinization

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New Storage

• Focus on off-channel projects
• Expansion of existing projects
• Projects with multiple benefits
• Link to watershed planning
• Little effect on existing rights

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Proposed Black Rock Reservoir
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ASR Aquifer Recharge

• Minimal impact if done properly
• Requires specific conditions
• Expensive to develop
• Combine with other measures
• 2.78M in funding

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ASR Aquifer Recharge

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Water Reclamation

• Expensive to develop
• Demonstration projects
• State-funding
• Locals starting to explore
• Replaces potable sources
• Mitigation for other uses

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Demand Management

• Improve efficiencies
• Agriculture
• Techniques
• Projects
• Industrial
• Improved processes
• Municipal
• Water system planning
• Standards (DOH)
• Provide new sources

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Mitigation

• Offset streamflow effects
• Only needed at certain times
• Different options
• Water for water
• Possible out-of-kind proposals

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Water Acquisitions

• Provides instream flows
• Water accounts for other uses
• Yakima Basin Project
• Uses above instream flows
• Operated by state at present
• Exploring other options

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Desalinization

• Available in coastal areas
• Expensive to develop
• Small-scale only so far
• Concerns with byproducts
• Impairment of other rights

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Columbia River Initiative
An example

• Meet regions water supply needs . . .
• Reduce the risk to fish . . .

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Add picture of Hanford Reach
Rich Steele photo
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Objective

• Develop a water management program for the
  Columbia River that
• Meets needs of a growing population and a healthy
  economy
• Meets needs of fish and healthy watersheds
• Reflects sound scientific and economic
  information, and
• Can be effectively implemented and sustained

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Where Will Water Come From?
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Proposal

• Secure and deposit water in Columbia River
  mainstem, sufficient to
• Meet water supply needs, and
• Reduce risks to fish
• Authorize new out-of-stream uses of water to be
  mitigated by water deposits
• Invest state funds to secure the water
• To be offset by annual mitigation payments

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Key Inputs

• National science review
• Economic review
• Water use efficiency (BMPs)
• Outreach and consultation

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National Research Council Study

• Salmon populations at lt10
• Many interrelated variables affect salmon, e.g.
  temperature, flow, velocity
• Water use will likely increase over time
• New water withdrawals in July/August could pose
  substantial risk to salmon

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Univ. of Washington Study

• 1M acre-feet for new withdrawals (without
  required mitigation)
• No effect on flood control/navigation
• 20M/yr adverse effect on power
• 800M/yr positive effect on agriculture
• Unknown adverse economic effect on fish

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Irrigation BMPs

• Per legal settlement with irrigators
• Guidelines for efficient irrigation practice
• Condition of new permits for continued water use
  during drought conditions
• Only applicable to existing state water rights
  that are interruptible during drought

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Outreach and Consultation

• Tribal governments
• Federal water managers
• Water users
• Agricultural irrigators
• Communities / municipalities on mainstem
• Power utilities
• Environmental interests
• Fish managers

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Water Needs

• Meet water supply needs
• Ensure no interruption of rights during drought
• Provide certainty for cities along mainstem
• Process pending applications for water
• Plan for future growth
• Reduce risk to fish
• Improve streamflows during the April-August
  juvenile fish migration period

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Water Quantities (20 years)

• Supply needs (people)
• Approximately 485K acre-feet
• Reduce risks (fish)
• Approximately 243K acre-feet
• Total of approximately 728K acre-feet
• Plan 3 buckets in for every 2 buckets out

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Sources of Water

• Water efficiency
• Conveyance and on-farm conservation
• Improvements to management of existing storage
  and conveyance
• Developing new, multipurpose water storage
• Water acquisition
• Partner with others
• Purchase water from existing mainstem storage in
  US and Canada
• Funds to purchase existing water rights

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Investments

• Capital funds conservation, access to existing
  storage, new storage studies
• Operating funds account administration, water
  rights processing, compliance, water use
  measurement
• Public investment to increase stream flows for
  fish
• Annual mitigation payments for new water uses

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Management Program

• New State water management account
• Mitigation water to offset new uses
• Water in trust to increase stream flows for fish
• Account provides source of mitigation water for
  drought permits and new permits
• New users have the option to bring their own
  mitigation water
• Water use measurement and reporting, and
  increased compliance activities

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Assess and Improve

• Track water sources and use
• Report annually on water use and decisions
• Formal evaluation of the program
• Both science and economics
• Review every 10 years

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Whats Next?

• Ongoing negotiations to secure water
• Ongoing outreach and consultation with
  stakeholders
• Comprehensive package for next Administration
• Water agreements
• Policy bill
• Significant budget initiative
• Proposed rule

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Photo by Darwin Durek Bonneville Power
Administration
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