Governor Locke unveils Columbia River proposal
Plan aims to end water rights fight
KENNEWICK -- In what is likely one of his last acts before leaving office, Gov. Gary Locke announced a new plan for managing the Columbia River, seeking to provide more water for farmers and cities in Eastern Washington while protecting fish and wildlife.
Water users and conservationists have been battling for decades over water rights for the Columbia and its tributaries, with one side seeking more water for communities and commerce while the other side fights for sufficient water for threatened fish.
Locke made finding a solution a priority in his second term, working to resolve hundreds of water-rights applications and reduce litigation on the issue.
The new plan, released during his last weeks in office, seeks to achieve that goal, although it was unclear whether the Legislature or his successor would act on it.
Locke's Columbia River Initiative aims to secure an additional 728,000 acre-feet of water to meet the region's needs over the next 20 years and provide a more reliable supply of water during droughts.
Two-thirds of the additional water would go to farmers, irrigation and other uses, and one-third would remain in the river to preserve adequate river flows and protect fish and wildlife.
The proposal seeks $79 million in new state financing to buy water, research water storage and develop water-conservation measures. It would need approval by the Legislature, where many proposed water-policy changes have died in recent years.
Locke urged lawmakers and the next governor to support the initiative, saying it would be "the single largest economic development initiative in Eastern Washington in decades."
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, state Department of Fish and Wildlife and three Columbia River basin irrigation districts signed a memorandum of agreement on the plan yesterday. The National Marine Fisheries Service also supports the plan.
Locke said he expected the Colville Confederated Tribes to sign the agreement in the coming weeks.
A few details still needed to be worked out, including ensuring that fish habitat in Lake Roosevelt is protected and that tribes receive their share of power from Grand Coulee Dam, tribal Chairman Joe Pakootas said.
But he said he expected an agreement soon.
The tribes' support is critical for the proposal, which calls for drawing down Lake Roosevelt behind Grand Coulee Dam on the upper Columbia River by up to an additional 1 foot each fall. That would provide 137,000 acre-feet of the 728,000 acre-feet of water sought under the plan.
The rest would be secured through agreements with the Bonneville Power Administration and Canada under a Columbia River treaty, and by increasing storage and conservation.
Locke's proposal would allow the state to fulfill about 300 pending water-rights applications for groundwater and surface water near the river.
That, in turn, could ease the gridlock involving more than 3,000 applications for water from the river's many tributaries throughout Eastern Washington.
This story courtesy of the Seattle P-I:
Locke unveils Columbia River proposal
