YBSA Monthly Report September, 2010

YBSA Monthly Report
September, 2010

Work Group Instream/Out of Stream Recommendation: YBSA continues to support the process being used by the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Work Group. After 16 months into the study the Work Group was asked to “support” or “do not support” the proposal and why, regarding the instream and out of stream committee recommendations.

A concern was expressed on the instrream recommendation due to insufficient information about how much water would be needed to meet the needs of the proposed fish enhancement projects and how many more salmonoids would return to the Yakima River Basin with the program in place.

The out of stream proposal for water needed during a single year drought was between 300,000 and 400,000 a/f without considering any additional water needed due to climate change. With multi year droughts, and climate change, the need could be as high as 800,000 a/f. In addition to the recommended need for more water, the storage structural proposals may not provide the water necessary. The storage proposals include enlarging Bumping Lake Reservoir, enlarging Cle Elum Reservoir three feet, build Wymer Reservoir and use water from Lake Cle Elum or the Yakima River to fill it, pump the water from the bottom of Lake Kachess (inactive storage) and put a pipeline from Keechelus to Kachess.

Opposition to Bumping Lake Enlargement: The environmental community has opposed enlarging Bumping Lake for decades and the Work Group received a letter from Brock Evans, President of the Endangered Species Coalition, stating their opposition

Preliminary Cost Estimates: The first preliminary cost estimates for structural projects were presented at the September 23rd Work Group meeting. The cost was listed as high as $3.270 billion without all the proposed projects being included.

Pump Storage Benefits: YBSA continues to request pump storage from the Columbia River be included in the discussion. Pump storage would provide around 800,000 a/f even during consecutive droughts. In addition Columbia River water would provide water for irrigation purposes. The Yakima River water would be used for instream flow (fish recovery), out of stream needs along with Columbia River water (preventing droughts which cripple the economy and create a large number of job losses), and the water for municipal growth. Additional water in the Yakima Basin would help solve the problem and eliminate the need for a moratorium on all wells in the Yakima Valley. Senior water rights could be protected.

Salmon Walks: Each fall Bob Tuck, a fish biologist, who has been instrumental in improvements for fish recovery in the Yakima Basin provides salmon walks on the American, Little Naches, and Cle Elum Rivers. Bob provided salmon walks with discussion of the number of fish and the need for more water and habitat to make a significant improvement in salmon runs. This year with the importation of Sockeye from Wenatchee and Okanogan planted in Lake Cle Elum spawning is occurring this fall (now) in the upper Cle Elum River. The Sockeye will need to navigate Cle Elum Dam to get to the ocean and be trucked around the dam when they return to spawn. YBSA has filmed the spawning on the American River with narration by Bob Tuck. Copies of the DVD of salmon spawning are available. Email your request to yakimabasinstoragealliance@yahoo.com.

Fair: Come and see us at our booth at the Central Washington State Fair through October 3rd.

See updated information at www.ybsa.org