YBSA Monthly Report April, 2006
YBSA Monthly Report
April, 2006
YBSA Roundtable: YBSA is preparing to hold a second roundtable on salmon and water. The forum will emphasize the need for water and how to achieve a balance between salmon and the economy. It will attempt to point out the desire and will of all citizens to work collaboratively to create a solution to solve the problem of sufficient water storage and instream flows. With the assistance of Ted Strong Consulting the roundtable is being planned for sometime in June and will be a two day conference. Invitations will be extended to a number of speakers to present their views on this important issue. Our next monthly report will include the roundtable agenda.
Agreement with Port of Sunnyside: YBSA signed a contract with the Port of Sunnyside to research the economic benefits of Black Rock Reservoir as a recreational site. Black Rock Reservoir has an estimated thirty miles of beaches, has great economic potential from water recreation, and has the potential of a master planned resort.
Port Commissioner Jeff Matson said the goal of the survey is “to help build the case” with the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) officials that Black Rock can be more than a water storage site. Port Commissioner President Arnold Martin stated, “It’s time to move forward with this so the people can see the potential of Black Rock.”
YBSA and the Port of Sunnyside will begin a search immediately for a firm to conduct the study. The value of recreation around Black Rock will be included in the feasibility study being prepared by the BOR. The BOR will assist YBSA and the Port of Sunnyside to complete the value of the recreation study.
from Groups looking into reservoir recreation
This story was published Tuesday, April 11th, 2006
By Elena Olmstead, Herald staff writer
Black Rock Reservoir could be more than a water storage solution for the Yakima Basin.
The project has the potential to make the Mid-Columbia a tourist destination.
Yakima Basin Storage Alliance, the group behind the reservoir project, is looking to Benton and Yakima counties and the Port of Sunnyside to pay for a study outlining the potential economic benefits of building the large basin.
Kim McCartney, storage study manager for the bureau of Reclamation, told the Herald that the agency will conduct its own recreation analysis this summer. He said the Bureau already has looked at the various recreation options available in the area and plans on spending the summer looking at which ones will be available if the reservoir is built.
The bureau wants to investigate whether the benefits from the project will justify its $3.5 billion to $4 billion price tag. The water storage project includes pumping no more than 1.3 million acre feet of water from the Columbia River into a man-made reservoir near the intersection of highways 241 and 24.
Commission Chairman Max Benitz said the study also would address the economic development that would come with the creation of the reservoir.
The man-made lakefront property could prove to be an economic draw, and Benitz said much of the property that lends itself to development is in Benton County.
Benitz told commissioners the proposed study would help “flesh out” the work being done by the Bureau. Cost of the study is estimated at $25,000.
Commissioner Leo Bowman said although he supports the project he was uncomfortable with some of the language in the proposed agreement. He said he’d like the county’s prosecutor’s office and planning and public works departments to review it before commissioners sign it. Commissioners agreed to have staff members look over the agreement and bring their recommendations back to the board.
Amber Hansen of the Port of Sunnyside likened the project to the creation of Lake Mead in the desert near Las Vegas.
“There are communities that didn’t exist until Lake Mead happened,” Hansen said. “Think of the boost that would happen in Benton and Yakima counties. We would become a tourist destination.”
© 2005 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press and other wire services.
Recreation Meeting with BOR: Commissioners from Benton and Yakima Counties along with YBSA and the Port of Sunnyside met with the BOR and Department of Ecology (DOE) to discuss how the value of recreation and resorts constructed around Black Rock Reservoir could be included in the feasibility study.
The developed recreational area needs to be included as another value in the feasibility study. Its importance should be considered in the cost-benefit ratio which will be one of the major factors in the determining whether Black Rock is built At the BOR meeting it was emphasized that the big Black Rock Reservoir was very important to economic development of the Yakima River Basin.
Democratic FDR Dinner: A presentation was made at the Democrats FDR dinner. The presentation included how the Black Rock project is a water exchange program that benefits the environment, fish, agriculture, municipalities and recreation. The presentation was well received. A display was set up at the dinner and a large number of people stopped to look at the display and discuss the benefits of Black Rock.
Senator Lisa Brown, the State Senate Majority Leader, was the keynote speaker. Oscar Cerda, a member of the Governors staff, also spoke. They both supported the concept of the Black Rock project and were pleased with the additional funding to continue the feasibility study that passed the legislature and was approved by the Governor.
Contract: Ted Strong’s contract was renewed for the remainder of 2006.
Contribution to YBSA: Sid Morrison met with Yakima Federal Savings and Loan board chaired by Wally Hall. Yakima Federal made a substantial contribution to YBSA.
Speaking Engagements: YBSA is scheduled to speak on the progress of the Black Rock study in Ellensburg on May 17 and the Tri-Cities in June.