YBSA Monthly Report August, 2012
YBSA Monthly Report
August, 2012
Why YBSA Believes More Water is Required for the Integrated Plan: YBSA has been the only advocate for significantly increased water storage for the Integrated Plan (IP). As such we are compelled to explain why. Those reasons include Instream flows, Irrigation droughts, and Climate Change.
Instream Flows
YBSA believes the flows in the lowerYakima Riverwith the IP are inadequate to enhance and sustain the life stages of the andadromous fishery.
Fish production: The increase in fish production from the IP other than sockeye, is very modest given the level of investment. If all the elements of the plan are implemented, annual runs would increase by less than 30,000 springs, summer and fall Chinook, coho, and steelhead.
Sockeye passage can be delayed due to thermal blockage greater than 69°. In 2004 the river water at Prosser reached 70° F on June 18, and did not drop below 70° until September 5. Temperatures exceeded 75° F from June 23 through August 24.
YBSA believes that even though significant conservation will increase instream flows, added volumes are needed to increase functionality, especially in the lower 100 miles of theYakima River.
Storage carryover is the second limiting factor for Sockeye production in the Basin. Higher September reservoir carryover levels would significantly increase Yakima Basin Sockeye habitat and productivity.
Irrigation Drought Events.
The five major reservoirs of the Yakima Project with a total capacity of 1,045,000 acre-feet, store and release water for the purposes of irrigation, fish and wildlife, flood control, and recreation within theYakimaRiver Basin.
A “sixth reservoir” is snowpack in the higher elevations of theYakimaRiver Basin.
TheAcquavella Adjudication Courthas mandated that the rights of the Yakama Nation to instream flows for anadromous fishery are time immemorial and senior to all other water rights within theYakimaRiver Basin.
When the snowpack is low, our water storage is inadequate to supply our needs. In other words the irrigation demand is met in the average and good years, but our carryover is insufficient for drought years in spite of large investments in conservation.
YBSA also believes supplemental irrigation wells, which are again junior water rights and subject to curtailment, are symptomatic of inadequate surface storage.
Reliability of the Water Supply for theYakimaBasin
Background
Beginning in 1995, following the passage of the Act of October 31, 1994 (Title XII), and the instream target flows at Sunnyside and Prosser dams, the total demand placed against the Total Water Supply Available (TWSA) in a normal water year was about 2.7 million acre/feet.
(see www.ybsa.org “Reliability of the Water Supply for theYakimaBasin” document
pages 1-4)
Climate Change
Studies by the University of Washington working with United State Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal agencies using three climate change scenarios, less, moderately, and more adverse spring and summer runoff is expected to decrease (ranging from 12 to 71%) and fall and winter runoff is expected to increase (ranging from 4 to 74%). The shift in runoff quantity and timing would cause significant risks to water supply.
(see www.ybsa.org “Reliability of the Water Supply for theYakimaBasin” document
pages 4-5)
Climate Change Impacts
Total Water Supply Available
Irrigation Proration Level
Insteam Flows
For the Integrated Plan without climate change there are four dry years (1993, 1994, 2001, and 2005). With the climate change scenarios the number of dry years increases, the Total Water Supply Available decreases, and the 70 percent irrigation proration level criteria of the Integrated Plan may not be met in some years as follows:
- Less Adverse: Seven dry years with the irrigation proration level at 70 percent for each year.
- Moderately Adverse: Fourteen dry years and the 70 percent irrigation proration level criteria are violated in every year.
- More Adverse: 24 dry years and the 70 percent irrigation proration criteria is violated in 22 of these years.
(see www.ybsa.org “Reliability of the Water Supply for theYakimaBasin” document
pages 5-7; figures 1 & 2)
Carryover Storage and Reservoir Refill
Table 3 provides a summary of the number of years of the 25 year period (1981-2005) that the three major water storage projects of the IP refill to the indicated capacity.
(see www.ybsa.org “Reliability of the Water Supply for theYakimaBasin” document
page 8; figure 3)
Conclusion
The IP includes a future study of the potential for an interbasin transfer of Columbia River water as a source to meet water supply needs contingent on how theYakimaRiver Basin’s economy develops over time.
On the other hand, the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement indicates that “Reclamation and Ecology with the input from the Workgroup, determined that there was no reasonable certainty that a pump exchange project was environmentally or economically feasible at this time to meet the Purpose and Need”. Consequently, the only water storage projects considered were Wymer Dam and Reservoir, Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage, and Bumping Lake Enlargement. Ironically these projects are being strongly promoted while their environmental and economic feasibility have yet to be determined.
With the time immemorial Treaty right of the Yakama Nation for instream flows to sustain anadromous fisheries being senior to all other water rights, and with climate change having the potential to seriously affect the reliability of in-basin stored water supplies, we are faced with the reality that a Columbia River pump exchange is the only source of “new water” to supplement our over-appropriated Yakima River system.
The following is an article about theYakimaRiver Basinfrom the Daily Record
See www.ybsa.org.