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YBSA Monthly Report November, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
November, 2015
Current Reservoir Content in Yakima Basin: Capacity is at 36%, which is average for this time of year. 100% capacity in the 5 reservoirs will only provide 1/3 of the total water needed in the Yakima Basin in 2016. The remaining 2/3 will have to be provided by the snowpack developed in the winter and spring.
Roza Irrigation District Proposed Lake Kachess Pumping Project: The estimated price is $58 million which has farmers concerned about the proposed plan. The Roza Irrigation District will continue to evaluate the cost of the proposed plan.
The plan would be to install a floating pump system on Lake Kachess to pump an additional 50,000 acre/feet of water from the lake after the normal drawdown is removed.
See complete story in the Yakima Herald by Kate Prengaman. Click Below
Progress on Storage Projects in Yakima Basin: The Lake Cle Elum 3 foot pool rise and fish ladder has been funded. The additional 14,000 acre/feet of stored water’s first priority is for instream flow.
The Yakima Basin Integrated Plan legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Senate Bill S1694 was sponsored by Senator Cantwell.
The Bureau of Reclamation is beginning its public scoping process for the Roza Irrigation District’s proposed Kachess Emergency Temporary Floating Pumping Plant (KETFPP) Project. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and for better regional coverage, there will now be three public scoping workshops held from 4:00 to 7:00 pm
December 7th
Hal Holmes Center
Ellensburg, WA
December 8th
U.S. Forest Service Cle Elum Ranger District
Cle Elum, WA
December 9th
Best Western
Sunnyside, WA
The purpose of these scoping workshops is to give the public an opportunity to discuss the proposed project and identify issues and concerns relating to environmental impacts, mitigation measures, and potential alternatives.
YBSA Monthly Report October, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
October, 2015
Reservoir Capacity: The present reservoir capacity is 10% of total. This is about 200,000 acre/feet less than at this time last year. Wet weather and a large snowpack will be necessary to provide the water needed for instream and out-of-stream needs. AT the resent time the inflow to the reservoirs is equal to the release.
Roza Irrigation District: The Roza Irrigation District Board of Directors is considering a project to pump water from Lake Kachess after the annual irrigation water supply has been completed. The Board vote was unanimous to pursue a pumping plant to withdraw an additional 50,000 acre/feet from the water that remains in the natural lake. The approximate cost of the proposed project could be $57.8 million ($1,156.00 per acre/foot) with $2.6 million additional for environmental and mitigation costs.
Water Supply 2016: With predictions of a continuation of a small snowpack in the Cascades there will not be enough water supply during 2016. Additional ways to address next year’s possible drought are being discussed. See complete story at:
http://www.dailyrecordnews.com/members/lake-kachess-drought-pumping-needed-now/article_65e760b6-63c9-11e5-9d6a-0f5e94e193bb.html
Columbia River water is still available.
Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.
YBSA Monthly Report September, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
September, 2015
Reservoir Water: As of September 30, the 5 reservoirs which provide water for fish and agriculture are down to 16% of capacity. With very little carryover water available in storage and the possibility of a less than normal snowpack, a more severe drought could occur in 2016.
Lake Kachess Pumping Project: A review of a temporary pumping project to access water from Lake Kachess below the existing dam (dead water) is being considered. See article:
Lake Cle Elum Fish Passage: A presentation about the Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Facilities was presented at the Work Group Meeting.
First phase of Cle Elum Dam fish passage construction to begin this fall
from Northern Kittitas County Tribune
September 24, 2015
By Erik Pague (erik@nkctribune.com)
RONALD – In a ceremony held at the Cle Elum Dam on Thursday, Aug. 27, local, state, federal and Yakama Nation officials gathered to announce that the official start of construction of a $100 million, high-tech fish passage at the more than 80-year-old facility is scheduled to begin this fall. The initial work will consist of building a bridge and access road across the Cle Elum River to allow work crews to access the construction site on the south bank of the river and Lake Cle Elum.
The planning for the passage began in the late 1990s and the project is intended to restore salmon biodiversity – particularly species like sockeye – to the lake and river while still providing enough water to meet the demands of irrigators downstream.
Agencies represented at the ceremony include dam owner Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington State Dept. of Ecology, and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife along with representatives and council members from the Yakama Nation.
Reclamation Pacific Northwest Regional director Lorri Lee said Bellingham-based Strider Construction is handling the bridge project, which she said should be completed by October 2016. Lee also explained how the unique helix design of the fish passage uses varying heights of entrances to allow fish to exit the reservoir at Lake Cle Elum no matter what depth it is at. A video explaining the design is available online at usbr.gov/pn/programs/eis/cle-elum.
“The intakes are staggered along the shoreline so fish can find the passage easily,” Lee said. “This is a world class facility . . . and will play a huge role in restoring this natural legacy to the watershed.”
Yakama Nation fisheries research scientist Mark Johnston said the passage would work in combination with a more conventional catch and release program that involves capturing fish at the base of the dam on the river side then trucking them to the lake in order for them to reach their traditional spawning sites higher up the watershed. Johnston said the finished project should be an environmentally friendly way to restore fish diversity and satisfy the desires of tribal leaders and fishermen who originally pushed for the passage more than a decade ago.
We’re putting the ecosystem back together and the biggest part is we’re doing it with the least amount of impacts on anybody else,” Johnston said. “It’s a win-win situation for everybody.”
Lake Cle Elum Pool Raise: Mitigation and shoreline protection costs created by the 3-ft. raise in the surface of the Lake are being evaluated.
Keechelus to Kachess Conveyance & Pumping Project: The Draft EIS for the Keechelus to Kachess Conveyance and the Drought Relief Pumping plant are still being reviewed.
Two proposed Tunnels to transfer water from the Keechelus Basin to Kachess are still being studied. The Lake Kachess draw down continues with the need to address concerns such as property values, ground water depletion, additional drilling to locate the pumping plant in the Lake, and fish passage between Lake Kachess and Little Lake Kachess.
Tieton Dam: An appraisal assessment is now being completed for fish passage facilities for Tieton Dam (Rimrock Lake).
Lower Yakima River Water: The water in the Lower Yakima River is being studied to address the low flows in the river and thermal blockage that curtails fish passage. During this year’s drought very few salmonoids have traversed the Lower Yakima River.
Presentation at Work Group Meeting: At the September 3 Integrated Plan Work Group Meeting YBSA expressed their concern that the plan is taking too long to address the water supply problem in the Basin, thermal barrier effects on returning sockeye, and the past and future concerns about expansion of Bumping Lake, the project should be removed from consideration.
YBSA Monthly Report August, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
August, 2015
With two-thirds of 2015 behind us where are we in our attempt to provide water for instream flow and out of stream use? Ongoing projects included in the June 3rd Integrated Plan for the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement include fish enhancements, fish passage studies, ground water analysis, tributary enhancements, purchase of the Teanaway Forrest, and Storage projects.
Accomplishments to date include additional habitat construction, additional conservation, management of the Teanaway Community Forrest, Manastash enhancement, and creating access to the base of Lake Cle Elum Dam. Storage projects which are crutial to enshre the Yakima River Basin water supply are the Wymer and Bumping Projects which continue to be analyzed and the Kachess inactive storage project.
Draft EIS of Keechelus-Kachess: The Draft EIS for the Keechelus and Kachess project was distributed. With uncertain information on the Draft, the EIS time period was extended. With the extended time period over, everyone is waiting for a decision to move forward with the project or drop it.
Drought: The 2015 drought has reduced the ability for salmon/sockeye to move throughout the Yakima River Basin and damaged our agricultural economy. With the predictions of a less than adequate snowpack this winter 2016 could be another year with insufficient water.
IP Appraisal of Columbia River Water: The material distributed at the Integrated Plan Work Group Meeting on June 3rd listed, “Begin appraisal of potential projects to transfer water from the Columbia River to the Yakima Basin”/ The Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study was completed in 2008 and was determined not to be cost effective. Times have changed since 2008 and a project which could be a possible answer to future droughts by brining Columbia River water to the Yakima Basin should be immediately reevaluated.
Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.
YBSA Monthly Report July, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
July, 2015
Water Storage in the Yakima Basin: The graph prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation shows the 5 reservoirs in the storage system (in acre-feet), as of July 30th, the stored water level is just below 600,000. Average storage for this time of year is just below 800,000 acre-feet. As of July 30th the present capacity in all the reservoirs is 53%. Lake Cle Elum, the largest of all the reservoirs, has 35% of the water left in the lake.
Lake Cle Elum
High Temperatures in Rivers: Sockeye Salmon are dying in parts of the Columbia River due to water volume and high temperatures. Temperature of the lower Yakima River is exceeding 70°. The fish returning to the river to head upstream may get stranded or could be harmed by shallow, warmer stream temperatures.
Upcoming Temperatures: The Weather Channel is predicting that temperatures in the lower Yakima Basin will fluctuate from the mid 80° to 100° through the month of August with 80° continuing through the month of September.
Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.
YBSA Monthly Report June, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
June, 2015
Reservoirs and Available Water: As of June 29th the percentage of total capacity of the five reservoirs is 76%. With the snowpack at 0% the inflow into the five reservoirs is 25% and the releases from all five are 95%. Unregulated flow in the Yakima River near Parker is 13% and observed flow is 37% of average. Roza Irrigation District is adding 90 cublic feet per second (cfs) and Sunnyside Irrigation District is adding 40 cfs to their delivery systems.
Drought Impact on Agriculture for Junior Water Users: The Department of Agriculture report on May 11th of their assessment of the 2015 Drought Agricultural Economic Impact provides the following information pertaining to the Yakima Valley. The first water uses curtailed during a drought are those held by junior water users. For this analysis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Assessment Section (NRAS) assumed a 50% crop loss in two major junior water right irrigation districts, Roza Irrigation District (Roza) and Kittitas Reclamation District (KRD). Both districts were contacted and provided crop acreage information to assist the analysis. The total crop loss value estimated in these two districts (based on top three crops in KRD and top eight crops in Roza) is $243 million.
This is a conservative estimate, and in no way reflects secondary economic impacts potentially caused by this drought including less need for labor, shorter packing seasons, lower crops or the impact of low soil moisture on crops normally planted in the fall. Those costs will not be fully realized until 2016 at the earliest.
Time to Revive the Black Rock Reservoir Plan by Don C. Brunell: Yakima Valley farmers have the same problem as their California counterparts: there just isn’t enough water for crops, migrating fish and people.
With snowpack in the Cascades at a dismal 10 percent of normal, Yakima farmers are struggling to stretch available water supplies during the upcoming summer months when irrigation water is most needed. The situation has once again prompted state and federal officials to consider adding water storage capacity.
Considering that, it is time to dust off the Black Rock project, which, as originally conceived, would transfer spring runoff water from the Columbia River in central Washington uphill to a new reservoir east of Yakima.
In 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation determined that the Black Rock Reservoir would be too costly. The estimated cost then was about $5.69 billion, but it could potentially climb to as high as $7.7 billion. At the time, the Bureau reported that Black Rock would return 13 cents for every dollar spent to build and operate. (the Integrated Plan, if completely implemented, would cost in excess of $5 billion.)
Over the last eight years, massive amounts of wind generation have come on line, which means, in addition to an irrigation lake, Black Rock could become a pumped storage facility generating hydropower from wind power.
A pumped storage project using wind-generated electricity would provide a storage battery for energy and would benefit fish, agriculture, municipal needs and economic stability while leaving a reliable water supply in the Yakima River.
Black Rock could become more than just an irrigation reservoir; it would ease the demand to divert water from the Yakima River for irrigation, leaving more water in the river, which would raise stream flows, which in turn would improve salmon and steelhead habitat.
See the full article by Dan Brunell on www.ybsa.org.
How much water is there in the Columbia River?: The following graph (below) presented by the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association shows the April-September unregulated runoff at the Dalles (linear Treadline Added). The volume of water in the Columbia has increased and the volume now is more than 100 million acre/feet annually.
Work Group Now Including Possible Transfer of Columbia River Water: At the June 3rd, 2015 Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Work Group (IP) meeting a list of surface water storage activities was provided. For the first time a report included; begin appraisal of potential projects to transfer water from the Columbia River to the Yakima Basin. For a complete report on the Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study (Storage Study) go to www.ybsa.org and in the archives read “The Black Rock Project” and the “Columbia River Pumped Storage Reservoir Reports”.
Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.
YBSA Monthly Report May, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
May, 2015
Water in the Yakima Basin:
1. The Yakima Valley economy depends on water storage for its agricultural economy, population growth, and ecosystem.
2. Droughts are common in the area, but climate change indicators point to more severe droughts, more often.
3. The Integrated Plan purports to provide increased storage through 4 projects (Bumping Lake, Lake Cle Elum, Lake Kachess, and Wymer) but are all the projects viable?
4. The surface water storage element in the Integrated Plan includes a review of water transfer from the Columbia River to the Yakima River Basin. As of June 3, 2015 no review has begun.
5. Is the capacity of the surface water storage projects presented in the Integrated Plan sufficient to meet instream and out-of-stream needs over the long term? Proposed storage projects will not provide enough water volume, predictable supply, and storage capacity for future needs. Total cost = $4.4 billion over 30 years (from Normandeau Associates).
The water supply update at the end of May provides 44% of the normal supply of water to the junior irrigation districts. An update on available supply of water will be provided each month (from the Bureau of Reclamation).
The estimated crop loss during this year’s drought is $1.2 billion. In addition to the crop loss, fewer agricultural jobs will be available.
Using the water to address this year’s drought in each reservoir that normally is retained as carryover for 2016 and predictions of a second year of less than normal snowpack would create a more severe drought in 2016.
See link below for water issues.
http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2015/06/reversing-william-shatners-idea-moving.html
Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.
YBSA Monthly Report April, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
April, 2015
Yakima River Basin Drought 2015: Today we have a full reservoir system at about 99% and normally that would occur in early June.
The outflows from the reservoirs exceed inflow because of irrigator demand and required flows for fish. The fish flows have been quantified for a minimum in terms of flow at a geographical point in the system called Parker, just below Union Gap, based on monthly TWSA (Total Water Supply Available) estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The minimum flow is 300 cfs. That equates to 5 months at 600 acre/feet per day, or 90,000 acre/feet.
However, in the spring there can be periods when pulse flows are needed to transport the juveniles out to the Columbia, on the order of 10,000-20,000 acre/feet. We don’t know what fish needs would be if flows were so low that river water temperatures are higher than 69 degrees, as that is the temperature at which critical problems begin to occur, and at 78 degrees mortality approaches 100%. That either kills the fish or keeps them out of the river, in which case more water will be needed to allow them to move to their spawning areas. Those temperature can occur in dry years when a lesser amount of water is available in the river. Dead fish in the river from high temperatures would be a very dramatic event.
Senior water rights total 1,091,000 acre/feet, juniors 1,315,000 acre/feet, combined total of 2,406,000 acre/feet. Our storage totals are only 1,065,000 acre/feet, or just a little less than the senior water rights. The rest must come from snow-pack.
Today we are at 15% of our normal snow-pack (6% in upper basin, 23% in the lower, average = 15%). (ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/wa_swepctnormal_update.pdf The June estimate will determine the amount of water available for fish and agriculture.
At this point in time the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation estimates junior water rights to receive 54% of their allotment. The forecast is for below normal precipitation, and above normal temperatures. In the past 25 years the Yakima Basin has been able to survive using ground water, conservation, and water transfers from idled acres in exchange for money. Most irrigators are hoping the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation estimate is right.
This could be the driest year since post war times, we won’t know until the irrigation season is over. The most significant drought relief measure is to pump ground water. It is a possibility that the well yields will be significantly less than historical production, due to increased demand for ground water and the accumulation of 10 more years of well drilling and pumping. It is noted that with the forecasted estimates for next year are continued below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures 2016 will be devastating to both fish and agriculture.
Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.
YBSA Monthly Report March, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
March, 2015
Extended Comment Period: The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Kachess Drought Relief Pumping Plant and Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess Reservoir Conveyance, consisting of more than 1600 pages, was available on January 9, 2015. The 60 day comment period ended March 10th. A Bull Trout Enhancement Project (BTE) was added to the DEIS. On March 11th at the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Work Group Meeting the Bureau of Reclamation announced an extension of 60 day period for more comments. The reason given for the extension was “common misunderstandings about what the projects would entail that were apparent in some of the comments submitted so far”. What additional information will be provided that wasn’t included in the original DEIS and when will the comment period start after the amended information is provided? A compilation of the original comments received during the first 60 day period needs to be identified so they can be compared with those made during the extended period.
Update on Ongoing Projects: Technical Project update on ongoing storage projects at the March 11th Work Group Meeting:
1. Continue to attempt to locate an adequate location for the Keechelus-to-Kachess Conveyance.
2. Continuing to finalize the Kachess Drought Relief Pumping Plants locations and designing a method of passage for fish between the upper and lower lakes.
3. The final EIS is now being prepared for the Cle Elum Pool Raise. The design of an access road to the Cle Elum River below the dam to transport returning Sockeye to Lake Cle Elum needs to be completed. Finalize the structure and its location in the lake so the fish can leave the lake during the time when the lake surface is lowered for instream flow and out of stream use.
4. Reviewing locations for a dam to store water at the proposed Wymer Project to hold the most water at the lowest cost.
5. Continue to do more geological investigations to determine the viability of Bumping Lake Expansion.
Cost of Projects: An updated estimate of potential costs of the changes being developed for each storage project needs to be completed.
Reservoirs, Snowpack and Drought: As of April 1st, 2015 storage reservoirs are full. They contain approximately 1/3 of the water necessary for instream flow and out of stream needs. With the snowpack approximately 28% of average, 2015 will be a drought year. Everyone will need to tighten their belts and hope, between now and next year, the mountain snow will return.
YBSA comments on the DEIS K-to-K Project is located on www.ybsa.org.
YBSA Monthly Report February, 2015
YBSA Monthly Report
February, 2015
Possible Drought Conditions: Once again the Yakima Valley agricultural community is in danger of drought conditions due to the lack of snowfall in the Cascade Mountains. The water needed for instream flow (fish) and out of stream needs (irrigation) may not be available. Our five reservoirs in the Yakima Basin are more than 90% full, but that amount of water only provides about 1/3 of what is necessary. The runoff from the average snowpack in the mountains provides the additional 2/3 of the water necessary to provide what is needed annually in the Yakima Basin. As of the end of February, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Yakima Project Systems Status NRCS Snotel sites for the upper Yakima Basin has 22% of normal snow pack and the lower basin sites are reporting 38% of the average snow pack. Without a large snowfall in the next 2 months the Yakima Basin could be in for drought conditions this summer.
YBSA Response to DEIS: YBSA is submitting a response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Kachess Drought Relief Pumping Plant (KDRPP) and Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess Reservoir Conveyance (KKC) projects. YBSA’s mission is to ensure an adequate supply of water for now and future generations for all water interests in the Yakima Basin. While we support the Integrated Plan in the goal to propose and implement projects that enhance aquatic ecosystems, improve drought-year supplies for agriculture, and provide for future municipal needs, we have concerns about the proposed projects.
The December 2014 WorkGroup meeting notes report that the Implementation Committee is currently working on an authorization bill for the KKC,KDRPP, Cle Elum Pool Raise Project, fish passage, and water conservation initiatives. The exclusion at this time of the other two major storage projects as reasonably foreseeable future actions, the approach being taken for storage authorization and appropriations, the significant unavoidable adverse impacts indicated in the DEIS, and stakeholders adamantly opposing this action and a somewhat similar action with respect to the existing Bumping Lake are not very reassuring that joint water storage operations presented to date in the Integrated Plan will be a reality. It is most apparent however, that the KDRPP and KCC projects will not meet drought year water needs and will very adversely impact the immediate area. Under these circumstances is this a wise investment? The full response is available at www.ybsa.org.
Friends of Lake Kachess Editorial in the Northern Kittitas County Tribune: I am writing as a resident of North Kittitas County to express my grave concern and opposition to the controversial Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP). This proposal would transfer water from Lake Keechelus and Lake Kachess to junior water rights holders in the Yakima Basin at a cost approaching $1 billion. It would drain 200,000 acre feet of water a year from the two lakes and spill it into the Yakima River, to be taken out by irrigators. To be clear, an acre foot of water is one acre, one foot deep in water. Now imagine one acre of water…38 miles high! Or think of it as an acre of water the height of 14 Mt. Rainiers! That is the additional amount of water that would be drained from our two lakes in Kittitas County.
The devastating impacts of such an act on our environment is hard to imagine. However the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) just released on this project acknowledges it will deplete the aquifer, endanger threatened fish species, reduce recreational opportunities for individuals and families, possibly cause wells to fail, and permanently destroy elements of a fragile ecosystem enjoyed by thousands of Washingtonians. Despite the clear risks represented by the project, the DEIS only states that it will “monitor and mitigate” damages after they occur. This is unacceptable and should be opposed by everyone who cares about protecting our environment for future generations.
But the damage to our environment is not even the worst of this controversial project. A study conducted by distinguished scientists from Washington State University and the University of Washington, at the request of the Washington State Legislature, documented it is not only an environmental disaster, it is an economic disaster. A team of scientists and economists conducted a Benefit-to-Cost analysis of the two projects that are now being considered by the Legislature. They showed conclusively that costs would far exceed benefits. In fact one project would lose $.80 of every taxpayer dollar spent, and the second project would lose $.54 of every taxpayer’s dollar. No private enterprise would consider such a venture, and no public initiative should either. At a time when our State is facing serious challenges with regard to funding critical needs in education and infrastructure, it is unacceptable to waste taxpayer money in such a manner.
In summary, YRBWEP represents an effort by special interests in Yakima Basin to drain water from our aquifer, and even worse to drain dollars from Washington taxpayers for this environmental and economic disaster. In the strongest terms possible, I urge Tribune readers to oppose YRBWEP; neither we nor our environment can afford it.
Included with the permission of
Bill Campbell, PhD
Friends of Lake Kachess
Easton, WA