Yakima Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan October 23, 2014 Presented by Derek Sandison, Director Office of Columbia River Photo Courtesy of Tom Ring
Basin size: 6,155 sq. miles Population: 360,000 $3.2 billion agriculture economy Historically, Second only to Snake River in supporting salmon and steelhead runs
Managed by Bureau of Reclamation Five reservoirs with 1 million acre-feet of capacity (average annual runoff 3.3 million acre-feet) Irrigation deliveries: 1.7 million acre-feet Snowpack is the sixth reservoir
Surface water is over-appropriated Droughts in 1992-1994, 2001 and 2005 Proratable irrigation districts reduced to as little as 37% of allotments
Historic salmon and steelhead run size: 800,000 fish Average run size last 10-15 years: 15,000-20,000 fish Native coho, sockeye and summer Chinook extirpated: Coho reestablished, sockeye being reestablished Spring and fall Chinook: Seriously reduced Steelhead and bull trout: ESA Threatened species
Members of the YRBWEP Workgroup Federal Agencies Bureau of Reclamation National Marine Fisheries Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Forest Service 1 Yakama Nation Yakama Nation Natural Resources Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project Irrigated Agriculture Kennewick Irrigation District Kittitas Reclamation District Roza Irrigation District Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District Washington State Agencies Department of Ecology Department of Agriculture Department of Fish & Wildlife Local Governments Benton County Kittitas County Yakima County City of Yakima Other Stakeholders American Rivers National Wildlife Federation 2 Yakima Basin Fish & Wildlife Recovery Board Yakima Basin Storage Alliance 1. Joined Workgroup in 2012. 2. Alternate for American Rivers.
Habitat/Watershed Protection Reservoir Fish Passage Surface Storage Enhanced Conservation Structural & Operational Changes Groundwater Storage Market Reallocation
Improve drought year supplies to water-short irrigation districts (70% proratable supply) Provide water for growth in municipal and domestic well uses Improve security of junior water rights in the basin
Improved stream flow conditions Improved operational flexibility to manage flows and adapt to climate change Improved connectivity/viability of bull trout populations Improved habitat in floodplain, riparian zone, and forested watersheds Increased populations of Chinook, coho, steelhead and sockeye
Addresses first implementation in first 10 years of 30 year plan Advances all seven plan elements Represents just under 1/3 of estimated plan costs (about $900M)
Kachess Drought Relief Pumping Plant ($205M) Bull Trout Enhancement Plan Keechelus-to-Kachess Conveyance ($159M) 3 foot pool raise at Lake Cle Elum ($18M) Cle Elum Reservoir Fish Passage ($125M) Evaluate, design, construct second fish passage facility at Tieton Dam ($100M) Habitat and land acquisitions ($100M) Aquifer Storage and Recovery ($6M) Agricultural Conservation ($85M) Water Marketing ($0.5M)
Final Programmatic EIS - Completed March 2012 - ROD issued July 2013 Framework for Implementation Document - Completed October 2012 Formation of DC Leadership Group - Formed Fall 2012 State Authorizing Legislation/Capital Budget - Passed June 2013, Proposed SFYs 15-17 Budget Federal Authorization/Funding - Ongoing
Purpose Improve State s ability to work with federal government and water users to meet the Yakima Basin s future water needs Ecology authorized to implement Integrated Plan Protecting and enhancing of fish and wildlife Improving availability and reliability of water supplies as well as efficiency of use Establishing flexible operational enhancements to prepare for the uncertainties of climate change
Funding State commits to 50% of the cost of Integrated Plan, remaining 50% non-state (federal, local, private) Funding ration does not apply to individual projects Ecology and State Treasurer must prepare a cost estimate and financing plan by December 15, 2014 Reporting Ecology must submit report to the Governor and Legislature every two years beginning December 1, 2015 and ending in 2045 Legislation does not: Pre-authorize any specific project Eliminate or reduce requirements for project related analyses or permits
Integrated Plan Element Habitat Fish Passage Operational Modifications Surface Storage Aquifer Storage and Recovery Water Conservation Preliminary Budget Allocation 2013-2015 Focus $99,344,000 Outright purchase Teanaway Valley lands. Implement numerous habitat projects* $9,400,000 Cle Elum Reservoir Passage construction ready $650,000 Prepare K to K pipeline EIS $18,800,000 Kachess Inactive Storage and Cle Elum Pool Raise construction ready $400,000 Regional siting study. Construct one project* $2,500,000 Construct numerous projects* Market Driven Reallocation Total State Contribution $131,444,000 *Additional funding being sought through other sources $350,000 Develop banking and exchange programs
50,272 acres protected Joint management by WDFW and WDNR Critical to salmon recovery, headwaters protection, habitat connectivity, and recreation
Bureau of Reclamation Water and Related Resources Account Supports development, management, and restoration of water and related natural resources in 17 Western States U.S. Forest Service and other agencies - Land and Water Conservation Fund Provides funding to federal, state and local governments to purchase land, water and wetlands National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program - Columbia River Basin Critical Conservation Area (CCA) Builds on existing strong partnerships in the basin to promote water quality and management of water quantity to benefit recovery of salmon populations
Water Resources Reform Development Act of 2014 - Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program (WIFIA) 5 year pilot program administered by the EPA and Corp of Engineers to provide low cost loans for water, wastewater, and flood control projects Establishes new method of project authorization H.R. 5412, the Bureau of Reclamation Surface Water Storage Streamlining Act Intended to provide more accountability and accelerate studies to promote new and or expanded surface water storage projects (Approved in House Natural Resources Committee 22-16)
H.R. 3981, the Accelerated Revenue, Repayment, and Surface Water Storage Enhancement Act Allows water districts to prepay obligations to federal government, some prepayments would be dedicated to building new surface water storage (Approved in House Natural Resources Committee 5-16) Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP) 3 authorizing legislation Authorize implementation of the Yakima Integrated Plan, legislation development in progress
Photo Courtesy of Tom Ring