YBSA Monthly Report

November, 2013

Scoping Meeting: On November 20^th the Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of Ecology held a scoping meeting to receive comments on the upcoming EIS for both the Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage and the Cle Elum Pool Raise Project.

Cle Elum Project: The Cle Elum Project would increase the storage in Lake Cle Elum approximately 14,600 acre/feet which would be used to improve instream flow for fish. The 3 foot raise would necessitate a modification of the gates on Lake Cle Elum Dam, purchase of private property, move and change the public campgrounds and boat launches, increase the existing dikes to protect private property and roads, and provide environmental mitigation for other impacts. The 14,600 acre/feet of water would only be used during a short time during the spring. There has been no estimate of the cost of the project and who will be expected to pay the cost to continue the evaluation and the cost of mitigation and constructing the project. A cost-benefit evaluation needs to be completed.

See: http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/eis/cleelumraise/index.html

Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage Project: The proposed Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage Project is to provide additional water supply for municipal, domestic, and agricultural use during drought years. To accomplish this goal a pipeline or tunnel approximately 5 miles long would be built to move water from the Keechelus basin to the Kachess basin. A pumping plant would be installed on the shore of Lake Kachess connected to a tunnel below the level of the original lake before the dam was constructed, to pump water from Lake Kachess to the Kachess River that flows into Lake Easton. The proposed project would allow the existing Kachess Reservoir to be drawn down approximately 80 feet below the current outlet below the level of the original lake. The estimated 200,000 acre/feet of water could be available during drought years.

The project consists of two water conveyance structures, one to move water from Lake Keechelus to Lake Kachess and one to move water from Lake Kachess to the Kachess River and a pumping plant.

With the history of water availability from Lake Keechelus and climate change, will Lake Kachess be able to be refilled after the maximum drawdown during drought years? Continuing the review of construction and maintenance costs without a determination of who will share the costs (agriculture and municipal) along with the State and Federal Governments may find that the project is unattainable.

See: http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/eis/kkc/index.html

See: http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/eis/kdrpp/index.html

Both Projects: With both projects operational will we be able to meet our goal of enough new water for the next 100 years?

Comments may be submitted by December 16^th to:

Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area Office

Attention: Candace McKinley, Environmental Program Manager

1917 Marsh Road

Yakima, WA 98901-2058

yrbwep@usbr.gov

FAX (509) 454-5650

Phone (509) 575 5848 ext. 613

Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.

YBSA Monthly Report

October, 2013

Lake Cle Elum: Final design of the Lake Cle Elum Pool Raise Project is being prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation in Boise, Idaho. A site visit was conducted on October 9, 2013 to discuss shoreline protection. The public scoping meetings for the Environmental Impact Statement are scheduled for November 20, 2013 at the Yakima Arboretum and November 21, 2013 at the Cle Elum Ranger District Office.

Lake Kachess: The name of the project formerly called the Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage Project has been changed to Kachess Drought Relief Pumping Plan. The project will still remove dead water from the lake bottom, which was part of the natural lake prior to building the dam. A geophysics survey was done to locate sites for drilling through the lake bed and on the lakeshore. The public scoping meetings for the Environmental Impact Statement are scheduled for November 20, 2013 at the Yakima Arboretum and November 21, 2013 at the Cle Elum Ranger District Office.

Proposed Wymer Reservoir: The Wymer Reservoir Project drilling will be scheduled for this fall. The reservoir temperature modeling has been completed to evaluate the temperature of the water in Wymer effect on the Yakima River. A conceptual design is being developed for a pump station in the Yakima River.

Bumping Lake: The Bumping Reservoir Enlargement Project seismic testing is continuing and a field exploration will be performed in November, 2013.

Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.

YBSA Monthly Report

September, 2013

Drilling at Potential Sites: The Bureau of Reclamation is continuing the drilling at the location of the proposed dam sites for the enlargement of Bumping Lake Reservoir and the new Wymer Dam which is located on the east side of the Yakima River Canyon. Both sites have to be evaluated to determine if the sites are capable of providing the support necessary to construct the two new dams. Drilling is also being done to evaluate the possible location of a tunnel to connect Lake Keechelus to Lake Kachess. This project could provide additional water to increase the amount available in Lake Kachess that could be used to pump additional water from the original lake to the Yakima River during drought conditions.

Seattle Times Article: The Seattle Times article, “Longtime Foes Unite Over Water Plan for Eastern Washington” discusses the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan and its implementation strategy. The all-for-one strategy has brought unity by providing something for everybody. The overall price is estimated to be at least $4.2 billion in 2012 dollars. The plan is proposed to be completed over a 30 year period.

The article asks the following:

• Where the      money would flow.
• Climate:      “Something is different”.
• Economic      benefits in question.
• Big      hurdles remain

See the complete article at http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021921558_yakimawaterxml.html

YBSA Monthly Report

August, 2013

Water Woes: (Excerpt from “Water Woes” article in the Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum Washington by Bruce Coe)A public meeting was held in Ellensburg concerning the development of new wells outside the Upper Kittitas County Groundwater Rule Area. The proposal retains the concept of an exempt well which would allow 350 gallons a day, metered and with higher usage compensated with a mitigation plan. For a more comprehensive look at the proposed rules see www.co.kittitas.wa.us/cds/default.asp. See www.ybsa.org for complete article.

Climate Change Water Supply Impacts: Climate change scenarios in the Integrated Plan (IP) are described in the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS).³

Climate Change Water Supply Impacts on Total Water Supply (TWSA) in the Yakima Basin is described below. It lists the April 1^st TWSA estimate for the IP assuming no climate change and with three climate change scenarios.⁴

Decreases in TWSA affect the water supply available for out-of-stream and instream uses.  As a result the irrigation water supply available for junior (proratable) supply must be prorated in more years, the Title XII target flows over Sunnyside and Prosser diversion dams which are based on the TWSA estimate decrease and the instream flow objectives proposed in the Integrated Plan in the mainstem rivers and tributaries may not be met.

3  Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement of March 2012, pages 3-75 and 3-79.

4  Modeling of Reliability and Flows Technical Memorandum of June 2011, Appendix B, page 1 of 22 and Appendices D-1, D-2, and D-3, pages 3 of 22.

Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.

YBSA Monthly Report

July, 2013

Legislation Signed: The State Legislature passed and the Governor signed legislation to begin implementation and a review of the Yakima River Basin Integrated Plan.

The timeline and actions include:

1. 12/15/14    Initial cost estimate and financing plan provided to Governor and Legislature and updated by September 1 of every even-numbered year.
2. 06/30/15    Department of Natural Resources must complete the transition post-acquisition management plan public process of lands purchased for watershed enhancement purpose.
3. 12/01/15    Begin submittal of status reports to the Governor and Legislature begin and continue for every odd numbered year.
4. 12/01/21    The status report to the Governor and Legislature must include a statement of progress in achieving the water supply permitting and funding milestone. If it appears the milestone cannot or may not be met, describe the strategy for resolving them, and if necessary recommend modifications to the milestones.
5. 12/31/21    After this date and continuing periodically the state’s continuing support for the Integrated Plan shall be reevaluated if the actual funding provided through non-state sources is less than one-half of all costs and if funding from local project beneficiaries does not comprise a significant portion of the non-state sources.
6. 06/30/25    After the water supply permit and funding milestone or June 30, 2025, whichever is sooner, the land purchased for watershed enhancement purposes must be disposed of as follows: If the “milestone” has been met the lands remain in the community forest trust and the transitional post-acquisition management plan must be converted to a permanent post-acquisition management plan. If the “milestone” has not been met, the Board of Natural Resources must decide between two designated options of dispositions.

WSU to Complete a Study: Section 5057 of the Capital Budget included $300,000 to Washington State University to complete a benefit-cost analysis of the Yakima River Basin Integrated Plan Projects:

1. The Washington water      research center is to prepare separate benefit-cost analyses for each of      the projects proposed in the 2012 Yakima River Basin Integrated Water      Resources Management Plan (Yakima Integrated Plan).

2. The Center must measure      and report the economic benefits of each project on a disaggregated basis,      so that it is clear the extent to which an individual project is expected      to result in increases in fish populations, increases in the reliability      of irrigation water during severe drought years, and improvements in      municipal and domestic water supply.

3. The center must submit the      benefit-cost analyses, findings and any recommendations on the following      projects by December 15, 2014, to appropriate legislative fiscal      committees:

1. Tributary/mainstem enhancements
2. Box Canyon Creek
3. Subordination of power generation (Roza and Chandler)
4. Aquifer storage and recovery projects
5. Agricultural conservation
6. Municipal conservation
7. Water bank exchange programs
8. Cle Elum Reservoir
9. Keechelus, Kachess, Tieton Reservoir
10. Keechelus to Kachess pipeline
11. Wymer Reservoir
12. Bumping Reservoir Enlargement

Determine the Needed Flows in the Yakima River: There is still a need to determine the flows needed in the Yakima River under all conditions so the determination of who will get the needed water is not determined by the court like what has happened in the Klamath Basin.

Costs of Projects Need to be Determined: The cost of both construction and operating costs should be identified for each proposed storage project including cost of mitigation, and how the cost will be shared by the Federal Government, the State, Local Government, the people in the basin and the irrigators. Both construction and operation costs should be identified.

Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.

YBSA Monthly Report

June, 2013

YBSA Met with the Benton County Commissioners: YBSA Chair Sid Morrison addressed the Benton County Commissioners at the January 25^th board meeting concerning the adequacy of the surface storage element in the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan. There needs to be a verification of the water supply listed in the Integrated Plan and compare it to the value of a water supply from the Columbia River. A comparison of the Integrated Plan Storage Element and the Yakima River Storage Study was presented. With the possibility of after 20 to 30 years some storage projects listed in the Integrated Plan may no be built, the Yakima Basin will still be short of the water needed for agriculture, fish, and municipal growth.

A public-private partnership using surplus wind energy could assist in providing a cost effective way of pumping and storing Columbia River water for use in the Yakima Basin. YBSA requested financial support to hire a consultant to verify water availability and needs in the Yakima Basin in the future.

New storage is the only solution for the Yakima River Basin.

Yakima River Storage Study Provides           Integrated Plan Storage Element Provides

1.3 million acre/feet in an active storage      Kachess 200,000 acre/feet

Reservoir (Black Rock) with at least              Wymer 162,000 acre/feet

800,000 acre/feet of water available             Bumping 156,000 acre/feet

when completed                                                 Total 518,000 acre/feet

of water when all storage projects are completed

For the completed comparison see New Storage is the only Solution for the Yakima River Basin.

Columbia River Policy Advisory Group Meeting:

I.   Aquifer Storage Recovery –      some of the issues that have to be clarified prior to injecting water into      an aquifer:

1. Doesn’t degrade aquifer?
2. Permit to use water?
3. Water put in aquifer becomes state water?
4. Quality of water injected?
5. Drinking water standards or not?

II.  Columbia River Treaty      Overview – BPA and others are preparing recommendations for the Department      of State that includes:

1. Irrigation a top priority.
2. Keep hydropower costs low.
3. Flows in the Columbia River and storage needs.
4. Fish enhancement.
5. Allocation of water, spring and summer, in and out of stream needs.
6. Maintain a benefit and cost balance.

Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.

YBSA Monthly Report

May, 2013

The story about a shortage of water in the Upper Klamath Basin mirrors the possibility of what could happen in the Yakima Basin with insufficient storage. With drought looming, the State of Oregon is preparing for the likelihood that it will have to shut off irrigation access for many of the 200 cattle ranchers and hay farmers in the upper Klamath Basin as the Klamath Tribes take control of senior water rights in the region for the first time in a century. The State of Oregon recognized the findings of the legal process known as adjudication that gave tribes the most senior water rights the majority of the water flowing into Upper Klamath Lake dating to time immemorial.

Use the link below to read the complete article.

http://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/29840117-75/klamath-tribes-upper-rights-basin.html.csp

Also see the following for added information of the issue.

http://ybsa.org/climate-change/

In the archives choose the Reliability of Water Supply for Yakima Basin and Solving the Water shortage in the Yakima Basin links on the page.

http://ybsa.org/archives/

Go to www.ybsa.org for additional information.

Snowpack: The snowpack in the Cascade Mountains above the Yakima Basin is the sixth reservoir that provides water for the Basin. Without adequate snow, water needs will not be met. Without adequate storage every year, water needed for fish and agriculture is threatened.

According to the Snotel Sites Report, the May 1^st snowpack above 3400 feet in the upper basin snow water equivalent was 97% and at elevations in the lower basin, above 4400 feet snow water was 102% of average.

The teacup diagram displayed below shows the Reservoir storage available as of May 1^st.

Request to BOR: was sent to the Bureau of Reclamation office in Yakima requesting a timeline showing when major work items would be completed on the storage elements Wymer Reservoir and Bumping Lake Enlargement. The letter read as follows:

The February 2013, “Project Activity Report” for the Yakima River Basin Integrated Resource Management Plan indicates that geological and seismic activities will be initiated at the proposed Bumping Lake Enlargement and Wymer Projects this spring and summer. We would appreciate timelines showing the major work items to be accomplished and the points at which decisions can be made as to the stability and technical feasibility of these sites to construct the dams, reservoirs, and ancillary facilities that are proposed.

This information would be appreciated by April 18, 2013.

YBSA Monthly Report

March, 2013

Work Group Subjects: The following subjects were presented at the March 13^th Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Work Group:

• Targeted Watershed      Protection and Enhancement. Protection of over 200,000 acres of forest and      shrub steppe. The purchase of 46,000 acres of privately held land in the      Teanaway River Valley would protect unique and critical habitat for      numerous species. The Work Group is proposing $10.5 million for      acquisition of watershed lands.

• Implementation update. The      current capital budget proposal for the 2013-2015 biennium would allocate      $23.6 million for plan implementation. The Yakima Basin stakeholders are      proposing an additional $21.4 million for a total 2013-2015 appropriation      of $45 million. The increase would allow for accelerated implementation of      the Integrated Plan, and fund the acquisition of the highest priority      45,000 acre Teanaway property. Members of the Work group will travel to      Washington DC to request matching federal funds.

• Monies available for the      current biennium to begin early actions on the Integrated Plan in the      Washington State Department of Ecology’s includes habitat ($975,000),      Keechelus to Kachees Pipeline ($2,500,000), preliminary environmental,      geology and feasibility level designs for Bumping and Wymer ($1,250,000).      Federal funding available consists of money for fish passage at Cle Elum      Reservoir ($700,000) and Kachess inactive storage ($450,000).

• Funding is available for      drilling at the sites of the proposed new Bumping and Wymer Dams. The      Wymer Dam technical review project will be completed by the Bureau of      Reclamation and Department of Ecology. The review will include measuring      water temperature that will be returned to the Yakima River when needed      and the cost of piping water from the proposed Wymer Reservoir to the Roza      Canal.

YBSA Position Stated: Sid Morrison (YBSA) started the Work Group roundtable discussion by stating support for the Plan, but the Integrated Plan needs to emphasize storage. Storage is needed to complete the Integrated Plan. YBSA’s position paper was distributed (see www.ybsa.org). There were no comments by members of the Work Group.

YBSA met with Congressman Doc Hastings. Representative Hastings again stated storage needs to be the number one priority in the Plan because storage has been the most difficult to solve for generations.

Go to www.ybsa.org for full report and updated information.

YBSA Monthly Report

February, 2013

Testimony at House & Senate: YBSA attended and testified at the House and Senate Hearings on the proposed legislation authorizing the Yakima River Basin Water Resource Management Plan. The concept of the Integrated Plan is admirable, but to address the historic and future water needs in the Yakima Basin and the effects of climate change a large amount of storage is needed to prevent future droughts (see article at http://news.yahoo.com/climate-contradiction-less-snow-more-blizzards-161708650.html). The adequacy and reliability of the storage elements will not meet the long-term instream and out-of-stream needs.

Evaluate Bumping Lake Enlargement First: Bumping Lake Enlargement is the largest proposed new storage projects within the Basin and without the additional stored water the Yakima Basin will continue to be short of its needed water. During the last three decades the Bumping Lake Project has failed to be developed due to insufficient drainage area, flooding old growth timber and habitat, reduction in bull trout habitat, and its location near the designated wilderness area. The first project to be evaluated by the Department of Ecology should be “can Bumping Lake Enlargement be completed”. Without the new water we will continue to create problems for fish and agriculture as we have for the last twenty plus years.

Consider Columbia River Water: Wind powered pumped storage of Columbia River water should be considered with the new benefits such as fish ladders, Sockeye returns, and increased agricultural values as identified in the Integrated Plan. The storage portion of the Integrated Plan includes an evaluation of an interbasin transfer of water from the Columbia River.

Possible Eastern Oregon Use of Columbia River Water: Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and a task force comprised of farmers, environmentalists, and tribal interests signed a deal to pursue diverting more Columbia River water in the winter which is less detrimental to fish for agricultural use in Eastern Oregon (see article at http://www.keprtv.com/politics/Needs-of-farmers-salmon-sought-with-Columbia-River-water-deal-191482991.html). The Yakima Basin also needs and additional source of water.

Go to www.ybsa.org for full report and updated information