YBSA Monthly Report
April, 2011

YBSA Contract with GTH: YBSA is discussing a contract with James C. Waldo of the Gordon Thomas Honeywell, LLP (GTH) law firm to begin the Columbia River Renewable Energy/Irrigation Storage Project. The Central Columbia River Pumped Storage Project may simultaneously benefit the Pacific Northwest’s renewable energy industry, agriculture, and salmon recovery. The “Columbia Renewable Energy Storage Project” (“CRESP” or “Project”) promises to make major strides toward solving three of the Columbia Basin’s most vexing problems: storing intermittent output from the Pacific Northwest’s large and growing fleet of renewable electric generators (especially wind generators) so that power is available when needed; providing a reliable supply of water for agricultural and municipal uses in the Yakima River Basin; and, returning the Yakima River to its status as one of the Northwest’s premier producers of salmon and steelhead. The preliminary conclusions concerning the potential benefits of CRESP based upon our review of information compiled by Energy Northwest, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, the Corp of Engineers, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and other energy industry experts.

The next logical step in moving the Project from a concept to a reality is a thorough engineering and economic analysis to determine whether, as currently conceptualized, the Project is practicable from an engineering standpoint and will provide benefits sufficient to justify the major capital investment that will be required to construct the Project. If the analysis demonstrates that the Project, as currently envisioned, is economical, it will lay the foundation for moving forward with the Project by, for example, developing appropriate legal structures, identifying needed refinements in project design and analysis, attracting the large amount of capital necessary to construct a pumped-storage project on the scale required, and ultimately for constructing the Project.

Lower Yakima River Restoration: YBSA believes substantially increased water supplies are imperative for the future well-being of the environment and economy of the Yakima Basin. The lower 100 miles of the Yakima River presents many challenges concerning water quantity and quality, salmon production, and habitat restoration. This reach of the river is listed under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act for non-compliance with temperature and nutrient standards. This condition impairs the designated uses of this reach of the river for salmon spawning, rearing, and migration.

YBSA believes that opportunities currently exist to address these water quality conditions in the lower Yakima River. A collaborative partnership between the agriculture community, individual land owners, and Tribal, State and Federal agencies is needed to address the water problems. YBSA will initiate planning for a project between now and next fall. Specific projects may include restoration of riparian habitat, restoring flows in currently unused side channels, wetland restoration, and other types of projects that will address water quality deficiencies in the lower Yakima River. Our long-term vision is the restoration of the lower Yakima River with respect to salmon production and creating water quality conditions that meet Clean Water Act standards.

Public Scoping Meetings: The Bureau of Reclamation and Washington State Department of Ecology will conduct public scoping meetings for an Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (Integrated Plan), Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP), combined planning report/programmatic environmental impact statement (PR/PEIS) for two days in May.

The schedule for both public meeting includes:
May 3: Hal Holmes Center, 209 N. Ruby Street, Ellensburg, WA
May 5: Yakima Area Arboretum, 1401 Arboretum Way, Yakima, WA

The combined open houses/scoping meetings will be held from 1:30-3:30 pm and 5:00-7:00 pm at both locations.

The scoping meetings will give the public and agencies the opportunity to identify issues and concerns associated with the proposed Integrated Plan and to identify other potential alternatives that could be considered in the EIS. In addition to comments received at the scoping meetings, written comments will be accepted through May 19, 2011. Please submit comments to Candace McKinley, Bureau of Reclamation, Environmental Program Manager, 1917 Marsh Road, Yakima, WA 98901-2058, ((509) 575-5848, extension 232; or by email to yrbwep@usbr.gov, buy April 26, 2011. For additional information or questions, please call (509) 575-5848, ext. 613.

YBSA believes the water supply elements are inadequate for the following reasons:

 Climate change forecasts indicate a need for additional irrigation water to sustain future increases for crop consumptive use.
 Forecasts show increased drought frequency and magnitude. This will reduce the water supply available in summer months and carryover.
 Climate change will reduce snowpack storage and further reduce summer water supplies for crops and instream flows.
 Ground water supply problems are not adequately resolved by the package and could lead to ground water adjudication.
 The success of fish passage elements are severely compromised by inadequate volumes of water, which compromises smolt survival around the dams, and transit and production in the lower Yakima River.
 We believe that higher flow volumes in the lower Yakima River are required to improve water quality problems of temperature, phosphorus and other parameters.

YBSA believes the plan needs to address the following:

 The current plan has not been adequately analyzed for costs and benefits.
 The lack of financial analysis will inhibit political support. The public needs to know who is expected to pay and how much.
 There are a number of environmental concerns along with unpriced mitigation in the Plan for water storage, the list of those who openly oppose Bumping and Wymer is daunting, and with ESA, and other restrictive regulations, these two reservoirs will most likely never be built.

For additional information see www.ybsa.org

YBSA Monthly Report
March, 2011

Integrated Plan Concerns: A review of the Proposed Integrated Plan identifies most of the water needs in the Yakima Basin but there is a question if the proposed solutions will accomplish what is needed to correct the problems. The Project that is being proposed is fragmented and will take years to implement. The water needs appear to be greater than the amount that can be provided by the plan. Fish are being short changed and the proratable rights probably would come up short if back to back droughts occur.

The following comments were sent to DOE and BOR. YBSA appreciated the chance to voice our observations and concerns to the proposed Integrated Plan. The following are some of the water supply elements that are inadequate to solve the needs of the Yakima River Basin:
1. Climate change forecasts indicate a need for additional irrigation water to sustain future increases for crop consumptive use.
2. Forecasts show increased drought frequency and magnitude. This will reduce the water supply available in the summer months and carryover.
3. Climate change will reduce snowpack storage and further reduce water supplies for crops and instream flows.
4. Ground water supply problems are not adequately resolved by the package and could lead to ground water adjudication which would most likely freeze federal investment.
5. The success of fish passage elements are severely compromised by inadequate volumes of water, which compromises smolt survival around the dams, and transit and production in the lower Yakima River. In fact we are displeased to see the plan further reduces the instream flows in the already degraded lower Yakima River.
6. We believe that higher flow volumes in the lower Yakima River are required to improve water quality problems of temperature, phosphorous and other parameters. We believe that DOE may be required by the courts to resolve these water quality issues.

YBSA believes the plan and process can be improved:
1. The current plan has not been adequately analyzed for costs and benefits which will inhibit national investment. This process must compare previously investigated alternatives by the same metrics, and is best accomplished with a scorecard or matrix.
2. The lack of financial analysis will inhibit political support. The public needs to know who is expected to pay and how much. We note that many items have yet to aired and public hearing are not far off.
3. We believe that the integration of pumped storage provides the financial strength to justify the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, and the political support of a large constituency.
4. Sequencing the elements will lead to a piece meal implementation and breaking up the structure that is essential for everyone around the table to stand together, and we believe, is at odds with Representative Hastings written comments to the workgroup.
5. While we admire the ingenuity of the Department of Ecology in attempting to bring a number of environmental interests through uncertain and unpriced mitigation to support the Plan for water storage, the list of those who openly oppose Bumping and Wymer is daunting, and with the help of the ESA, other restrictive regulation, and the actions of individual citizens, history shows these two reservoirs will most likely never be built after decades of infighting.

Restoration of the Lower Yakima River: The Yakima Basin Storage Alliance (YBSA) believes substantially increased water supplies are imperative for the future well-being of the environment and economy of the Yakima Basin. We have been active in water issues individually for the past 40 years, and collectively since 2001, when we formed, to get Congress to start the Yakima Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study (completed December, 2008).

Water quality, salmon production, and habitat restoration needs to be improved in the lower Yakima River. This reach of the river is listed under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Actor for non-compliance with temperature and nutrient (pH, DO) standards. This condition impairs the designated uses of this reach of the river for salmon spawning, rearing, and migration. YBSA believes that addressing water quality problems in this reach is critical to the long-term restoration of salmon production in the Yakima River Basin.

YBSA believes the opportunities currently exist to address these water quality conditions in the lower Yakima River. However, effective action will require collaborative partnerships between the agricultural community, individual land owners, and Tribal, State and Federal agencies. We believe that YBSA, because of its membership that includes agricultural and business leaders, as well as individual land owners, is uniquely qualified to provide leadership and implement habitat restoration projects on the lower Yakima River.

With fish biologist Bob Tuck’s advice and leadership YBSA plans to initiate project formulation and coordination for the purpose of laying the foundation for project implementation. Specific restoration projects may include restoration riparian habitat, restoring flows in currently unused side channels, wetland restoration, and other types of projects that will address water quality deficiencies in the lower Yakima River.

Our long-term vision is the restoration of the lower Yakima River with respect to salmon production and creating water quality that meet Clean Water Act standards.

Information on a Columbia Renewable Energy Storage Project: See Attached document.

For additional information see www.ybsa.org

YBSA Monthly Report
February, 2011

Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan: YBSA will continue to work with the state Ecology and the federal Reclamation folks on their search for future water supplies in the Yakima Basin itself, we remain skeptical that the environmental conflicts that plagued this same effort during the past 30 years are going away, let alone the growing impacts of climate change, our declining aquifers for well water supplies, and the need for water for fish production.

Columbia Basin Renewable Energy Integration and Storage Project: But now, YBSA has a viable new idea. In Europe, they have said for centuries, “when the wind blows, pump water uphill”. So, when those thousands of wind turbines built along the Columbia River start to turn, all too often Bonneville Power feather the props because the power can’t be integrated into the northwest grid or shipped to California markets. This is a tragic loss of renewable energy and the money it generates. The time-honored answer: pump water uphill when power is virtually free, and run it back downhill when the energy can be sold. It is that simple, but complex to put in place.

We have the blueprint, and it could be called the “Columbia Basin Renewable Energy Integration and Storage Project”. YBSA has hired Jim Waldo, a very successful water attorney with a great record of “putting things together” to organize a number of interested parties in such a project, big players who provide electricity for the northwest, including the new wind power industry. Bonneville has given itself a year to find an answer to the wind integration dilemma which has them currently forced to “environmental redispatch” some wind energy by just plain turning it off, and the use of pumped storage is next on their option list for investment. The same energy balancing opportunity could be extremely useful for hydro power which now just flows to the sea once it leaves Grand Coulee.

At YBSA, we see ourselves as “coordinators” of this effort at this early stage, and we intend to share the prospects with all interested parties, including the state/federal Integrated Work Group that has advanced a lot of effort on fish and wildlife habitat, fish passage, water management, water banking, and quality. Their work on water supply is familiar ground that failed decades ago in Congress, and now faces the additional hurdles of the Endangered Species Act and no federal money, no earmarks.

The amount of pumped storage we need to solve the water supply woes of the Yakima Basin is comparatively small, and we have several years head start with the completed multi-million study of the irrigation use of Columbia River surplus. Pumped storage for energy storage works just as it does for irrigation except that we run stored water to supply the Roza and Sunnyside Canal systems, and the energy folks run it back into the Columbia when electricity is needed.

In other words, we get the benefits of an inter-basin transfer of water to meet our three goals: water for fish, water for people, and water for jobs . . . and the cost of doing this is reduced dramatically by partnering with folks who need the same investment.

March 9th Work Group Meeting: The Work Group meeting will be held Marth 9th from 9:30 am to noon at the Yakima Arboretum. The elements and associated actions included in the proposed integrated plan will be reviewed and the planning schedule and future Work Group meetings will be presented. Items included in the draft plan include fish passage, structural and operation changes, fish habitat enhancement, enhanced water conservation and storage. The storage element includes:

Surface Water Storage
 Wymer Dam New off-channel reservoir (162,500 a/f)
 Lake Kachess Inactive Storage Tap inactive storage volume (up to 200,000 a/f)
 Enlarge Bumping Lake Reservoir Enlarge reservoir to 190,000 a/f
 Columbia River Pump Exchange with Conduct feasibility study; and periodically evaluate
Yakima Basin Storage need for additional supplies

Groundwater Storage
 Shallow Aquifer Recharge Early spring infiltration to reduce reservoir releases
 Aquifer Storage and Recovery Off-season recharge of municipal supplies

Total cost of the plan is estimated to be $5.9 billion. The estimate does not include land acquisition for targeted watershed protection and enhancements. Estimated M&O annual cost is $15 million.

Restoration of Lower Yakima River: The lower Yakima River needs to be upgraded to meet the intent of the Clean Water Act. Temperature and nutrients are out of standards and there is a need to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous in a more natural way. The use of plants and trees would reduce the amount of phosphorous and the reduced sunlight will help. Increases in water flowing in the lower river will assist in reducing temperatures and allowing salmonoids including Sockeye to return in greater numbers. YBSA agreed to assist Bob Tuck in developing a plan to improve the quality of the lower Yakima River.

For additional information see www.ybsa.org

YBSA Monthly Report
January, 2011

YBSA’s Goal: Yakima Basin Storage Alliance (YBSA), a grass-roots organization whose members include: contractors, farmers, bankers, businessmen, engineers, fish biologist, former manager of an irrigation district, former state and local elected and appointed officials will continue our involvement in the development of the Integrated Plan.

YBSA’s board meets monthly to discuss the merits of the language in the proposed plan to provide suggestions from a broad base of interests.

YBSA continues to pursue the best and most cost effective way to provide for instream flow and passage for fish, out-of-stream use to prevent droughts, and water for municipal and industrial growth including the need to address the existing ground water problem.

We are anxious to work on developing a plan that will solve the water problem now and in the future even with climate change.

Draft Basin Study Report Ready in Late February: The draft Yakima River Basin Study Report and supporting technical memoranda are being developed at the present time. The draft Basin Study Report and technical memoranda will be made available in late February for Work Group members and other interested parties to review. The review period will last approximately three weeks. Details on the exact review period will be shared in a follow up email in February, once the draft document is available for review. The documents will be finalized after the review period.

Work Group Meeting Purpose: Work Group meeting during the review period will be held March 9, 9:30 am to noon at the Yakima Arboretum. The purpose of this meeting will be to:
 Discuss the draft Basin Study Report.
 Provide an overview of NEPA/SEPA Scoping, Programmatic EIS and Planning Report process that will further evaluate the Integrated Plan and other appropriate alternatives.
 Share the planning schedule, including Work Group meeting schedule.
 Describe the Implementation Subcommittee work plan and next steps.
 Share findings from advance mitigation/land conservation efforts.
 Update on other communication efforts (e.g., recent meeting with USFS).

Pumped Storage Benefits: YBSA continues to explore pumped storage as a Columbia Basin Renewable Energy and Storage Project. It would provide the Yakima River Basin the ability to acquire a large quantity of stored water, lower costs, and increase benefits of pumped storage. Pumping water during extremely low or negative power prices into a storage reservoir would provide an opportunity to improve a pumped storage project economically. The project would also provide water storage for irrigation and salmon restoration in the Yakima Basin and an opportunity to assist the integration of wind generation into the Northwest power grid using that stored water as a storage battery.

For additional information see www.ybsa.org

YBSA Monthly Report
December, 2010

Integrated Plan Work Group Meeting: Dan Silvers, Department of Ecology consultant, opened the December Integrated Plan Work Group meeting stating, “Don’t worry about the language in the plan, the details are important, but this document is not the last word on the details”.

YBSA agreed moving forward with the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (I.P.) was beneficial to the Yakima Basin. More information is needed on the cost/benefit of each of the 7 elements of the plan. The plan does not provide enough water to meet the needs of instream flow (fish), a minimum of 70% water available during drought years (ag), and water needed to address the problem identified in the USGS report on the decline of instream flow and water levels due to ground water withdrawals.

Other members of the Work Group stated their concerns with the I.P. but wanted to move forward to the next step to develop a final plan and an environmental review.

One dissenting vote came from Jeff Thomas, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He said the plan contains too many uncertainties for improving migratory fish populations and would damage spotted owl habitat at Bumping Lake and sage grouse habitat in the Wymer footprint.
“The fish are still getting the scraps,” Thomas told the group.
He also questioned why the plan doesn’t deal with groundwater issues, which led to a moratorium on new wells in upper Kittitas County. The ban, imposed about the time the work group began meeting, was prompted by new domestic wells that are taking water belonging to irrigators and fish.

David Lester Yakima Herald-Republic Saturday, December 18, 2010

Renewable Resources: The development of pumped storage as an energy storage solution and its capacity designed to integrate variable renewable resources, wind generation, into the electric grid provides us an opportunity to improve the Black Rock project economies and improve the management of water that would improve both water storage and salmon restoration in the Yakima River Basin.

B.P.A. is reviewing the situation where federal hydropower and wind output exceeds load and transmission capabilities. A solution could include pumping water during extremely low or negative power prices by pumping water into a storage reservoir and then provide the ability to generate power at times when power prices are high.

YBSA is embarking on a new approach way beyond the DOE-BOR plan to acquire a large quantity of stored water lowering costs and getting resources to increase benefits to the Yakima Basin. The pumped storage project would provide water storage, salmon restoration, and an opportunity to assist in the integration of wind generation into the northwest grid.

A Columbia Basin Renewable Energy Integration and Storage Project would identify energy-related benefits from the project that have not been previously considered.

YBSA wishes you a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

See updated information that includes video of salmon spawning in the Yakima River Basin at www.ybsa.org

YBSA Monthly Report
November, 2010

Meeting with Virgil Lewis, Sr.: YBSA executive committee met with Virgil Lewis, Sr., member of the Yakama Nation Tribal Council and Chairman of the Fish, Wildlife, Law and Order Committee, to review items that the Yakama Nation and YBSA have in common. Some issues have not been resolved by the Work Group developing the integrated plan. Subordination of power generation, use of Columbia River water, and mitigation plans have not been agreed upon. Virgil mentioned the need for more surface water for the Wapato Irrigation Project, the need to reclassify the District so grants can be obtained, additional funding for repairs of the WIP and to make the idle land on the Reservation usable to improve the economy. YBSA supports Yakama Nation’s goal. Improving the economy on the Reservation benefits everyone in the Yakima River Basin.

Request of Model Run: YBSA sent a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation requesting a model run to estimate salmon production in the Yakima Basin based upon a future that includes enough water to fully engage all potential habitat features. A plan for maximizing the number of returning salmonids to the Yakima Basin would be of great benefit to the Yakama Nation.

Pumped Storage and Wind Generation: Sid Morrison met with Jim Waldo, a Tacoma attorney who has worked in the natural resource arena across the Pacific Northwest for the last thirty years, to discuss the possibility of a pumped storage project using the Black Rock configuration. Pumped storage and wind integration programs are being developed throughout the west and would buy down the cost of storage. There is a large variation in the price of power, when there is high water and wind at the same time power is discarded. The discarded power could be used to pump water.

Work Group Meeting Information: At the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Work Group meeting the Integrated Plan updated hydrologic modeling results without on of the three major storage projects would provide; less water for irrigation and would not meet the 70% prorationing water supply goal, less water for instream flow benefits, and less carry over storage. The effects of potential climate change on the Integrated Plan benefits would reduce summer flows and increase needs for storage, would deliver comparable benefits under the predicted climate change scenarios, and not meet the 70% prorationing goal under moderately adverse scenarios.

Two thirds of the water needed for out of stream use and instream needs is provided by the snowpack in the Cascade Mountains that water the Yakima Basin. The other one third is met by water stored in our five major reservoirs. With climate change potentially reducing snowpack additional stored water will be required to meet the current water needs. Storage makes all the other projects included in the Integrated Plan possible and enhances the economy of the Yakima Basin.

The following cost information was provided for the November Work Group meeting.

November 17, 2010
Integrated Plan Construction and Annual Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Costs
Construction Costs Cost/acre-foot Annual O&M
Volume Estimate Lower Upper
(acre-feet) (million dollars) (dollars) ($1,000)
Water Supply
Storage
Bumping Lake Enlargement (New) 156,300 402.5 322.0 563.5 2,600 210.0
Wymer (Option 1, pump to Wymer) 162,000 1,309.7 1,047.8 1,833.6 8,100 3,980.0
Kachess Inactive (tunnel) 200,000 253.8 203.0 355.3 1,300 270.0
Groundwater Infiltration 100,000 74.6 59.7 104.5 750 2,145.0
Cle Elum 3-foot raise 14,700 16.8 13.5 23.6 1,100 500.0
Total 633,000 2,057.4 1,646.0 2,880.5 3,300 7,105.0
Water Conservation
Agriculture
Enhanced Basin-Wide Program 170,000 549.9 439.9 769.9 3,200
KRD Canals (Main-South Branch) 35.9 28.7 50.3 25.0
Wapatox Canal (Option 1) 59.3 47.5 83.1 210.0
Municipal and Domestic 1.0
Total 645.1 516.1 903.3 236.0
Total Water Supply 2,702.5 2,162.1 3,783.8 7,341.0
Specific Fish Enhancement
Fish Passage 324.3 259.4 454.1 2,640.0
Fish Habitat
Tributaries 180.0 144.0 252.0
Mainstem 279.7 223.8 391.6
Keechelus to Kachess pipeline 190.7 152.5 266.9 90.0
Total Specific Fish 974.7 779.7 1,364.5 2,730.0
Future Study
Columbia River Pump/Storage 3.8 3.0 5.3

Total Integrated Plan 3,681.0 2,944.8 5,153.6 10,071.0

Options
Wymer (Option 2, Thorp Pump) 541.2 433.0 757.7 3,390.0
Kachess Inactive (Pump) 225.7 180.6 316.0 590.0
Wapatox Canal (Option 2) 82.1 65.7 115.0 210.0

Construction costs: “Estimate” is that prepared by the consultants and includes contingencies plus 30% for design and permit costs. “Lower” is -20% of the “Estimate” and “Upper” is +40% of the “Estimate”.
Cost/acre-foot: “Estimate” divided by “Volume” (capacity) or in the case of agriculture water conservation the estimated “saved water”.
Bumping Lake Enlargement: Total capacity is 190,000 acre-feet which includes 33,700 acre-feet of existing capacity (replacement) and 155,300 acre-feet of new capacity.
Options: Measures that could be substituted for those listed in the table; i.e Kachess Inactive (pump) substituted for Kachess Inactive (tunnel). The inclusion of these would change the total costs of the Integrated Plan shown in the table.

See updated information that includes video of salmon spawning in the Yakima River Basin at www.ybsa.org

YBSA Monthly Report
October, 2010

YBSA Supports IWRMP: Yakima Basin Storage Alliance (YBSA) remains committed to support the Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (IWRMP) to solve the Yakima Basin’s water supply problems that exist now and will be more prevalent in the future.

The Following is from the Report to the September 23, 2010 Work Group Meeting:

Climate Change: The climate change report showed the integrated plan scenario results for meeting the water supply needs do not meet the 70% prorationing water supply goal seven times in the 20 year period between 1985 and 2005.

Adjusted Storage Scenario: The adjusted scenario without Bumping Lake Enlargement, Wymer Reservoir, or Kachess Inactive Storage with Keechelus to Kachess Pipeline does not meet the 70% proration water supply goal, provides less water for irrigation and instream flow benefits, and less carryover storage following dry years.

Environmental, Policy and Legal Barriers: Major impacts on storage projects that could prevent or delay a project include impacts that cannot be mitigated and not include all possible environmental impacts and a high potential for historic and cultural resources in the Yakama Nation ceded territory and historic structures.

Bumping Lake Expansion eliminates some old-growth, Northern Spotted Owl, and Bull Trout spawning habitat. It would inundate several large public and private recreation facilities. Kachess Lake inactive storage would affect Bull Trout passage and habitat.

YBSA’s Perspecitve on Proposed IWRMP: For the past 65 years the failure to provide sufficient volume of water for both instream and out-of-stream use has jeopardized the economy, the return of salmonoids, and municipal and rural growth. A plan needs to include enough water to ensure a healthy economic environment and a return to a more historical hydrograph in the Yakima River. The following was provided to the Work Group explaining YBSA’s position:

YBSA’s perspective on the proposed
Integrated Water Resource Management Plan for the Yakima Basin
This paper explains YBSA’s position October 2010, and list elements we deem critical for the plan to succeed.

Why do we support 800 kaf for the Yakima River Basin when others are OK with 400 kaf?

I. Support for Out-of-Stream Needs

We support:

1) 70% criteria as a target for dry-year proratable agricultural water supply which in a year like 2001 requires an additional 355,000 acre-feet for irrigation

2) 45,000 acre-feet for future municipal/domestic water.

Therefore Out-of Stream needs total 400,000 acre-feet additional water storage.

3) In addition the USGS report presented at the September workgroup meeting shows we need an additional 50,000 acre-feet of water within reservoir storage for aquifer recharge.

Total needs for out-of-stream identified to date equals 450,000 acre-feet.

However, we are very concerned that significant out-of-streams needs for water in the Yakima Basin have not yet been quantified. These include:

1. Water for multiple-year droughts that may last 3 years, or more. How much water would be required to meet the 70% supply target in year 2 or year 3 of a drought?
2. The USGS groundwater report estimates that approximately 145,000 acre/feet of water is being lost from the lower Yakima Basin. No replacement water is included in the 450,000 acre/feet figure.
3. Climate change will inevitably change the nature and timing of precipitation and runoff regime in the Yakima Basin. Since approximately 2/3 of the annual irrigation water supply is derived from snowmelt in the spring and early summer, the impact of reduced snow-pack could be severe, even if annual precipitation is not greatly reduced. How much water, under various climate change scenarios, will be required to compensate for the reduced snow-pack?

II. Support for In-Stream Needs

Instream flow needs have not been adequately quantified.

What are the optimum flows in the river for salmon recovery?

1. We believe the best flow regime for recovery is the unregulated hydrograph; modified to the extent we have good data to support a deviation from it. We also know that storing more Yakima River water deviates further from the unregulated flows. Instream flows are seriously deficient in significant reaches of the Yakima River and tributaries; most notably the lower 100 miles of the mainstem Yakima. Despite the need for significant flow increases throughout the Yakima Basin, as well as flow reductions in some reaches, instream flow needs have not been quantified. Any water planning effort in the Yakima Basin that does not include quantification of the instream flow needs is fatally flawed. Although not quantified, it appears obvious to us that the quantity of water needed for instream flows is of such magnitude that we believe that only water from the Columbia can satisfy this need.

2. Current water quality conditions in the lower Yakima River, in particular temperature, preclude salmon spawning or rearing and significantly inhibits migration as well. These conditions have been documented in a number of reports, and are summarized in the 2001 Yakima Subbasin Summary, the 2005 Yakima Subbasin Plan, and the 2008 Yakima Steelhead Recovery Plan. Restoring salmon production in the lower Yakima River will require a determine effort over an extended period of time, but we strongly believe that restoring salmon production in this reach is not only possible, but necessary for the future well-being of the Yakima Basin. We are profoundly disappointed that the current planning effort has failed to effectively address this issue.

III Feasibility of Specific Projects as Proposed in the plan
1. Comparing. For this plan, or any plan to succeed, all options should be listed on a matrix to compare costs and benefits on the same basis, and the criteria should be the same as those of the current plan.
We also know that the cost of the package will be high, which is why we advocate that recreation and power value be maximized so as to attract private funding to reduce taxpayer expense.

2. The Public. Perhaps most importantly, the public has to be apprised of the options, and given a chance to comment. Without their support, congressional passage is not likely.

3. Sequencing. Further, all parties should be aware of the sequence, timing and triggers for substitute projects if it appears that a given project becomes unfeasible or unlikely to begin construction within a predefined period. A project schedule for each element of the Integrated Plan should be developed. This schedule should include project costs and timing for construction, mitigation elements (if necessary), and operation and maintenance costs.

4. Triggers. Within the project schedule, there should be objective measures to determine if a project will move forward on schedule. If it is determined by these objective measures (e.g. timely appropriation, engineering/cost feasibility, absence of litigation to forestall a project) that a project will not move forward according to the schedule, other projects would be moved forward and accelerated.

For example, the expansion of Bumping Reservoir is one critical element to the performance of the Integrated Plan in meeting goals. There have been repeated attempts in the past to expand Bumping Lake. However, opponents to this expansion and the soundness of their arguments have not been reduced by time, and have in many ways increased. Additionally, recent conversations concerning potential mitigation exchanges which may significantly add to the cost of this project must also be more fully considered by the Workgroup before being included in the Integrated Plan and subsequent funding request.

The Workgroup will see model scenarios that quantify the effect of loss of the major project components. The Plan should include backup provisos that reliably ensure the water supply needs of the basin to account for contingencies such as the infeasibility of one or more major project components. Project sequencing, timelines and triggers are required to establish the probable loss of such components and prevent potential failure of the Plan in meeting its goals. Given the potential for one or more Integrated Plan elements to be infeasible to construct, we propose the Columbia River water exchange, in combination with other elements of the Integrated Plan, be the next project proposed for implementation. We agree it offers the best opportunity for addressing the Yakima River basin water issues as they stand today and in the future and also provides the opportunity for integration of wind power into the Federal Columbia River Power System and to meet expected changes in hydrologic timing of Yakima River basin runoff due to climate change.

5. Legislation. To assure the water supply of the Integrated Plan it is imperative that specific provisions be included in the Plan and in Federal/State authorizing legislation for appropriation of funds for
a) planning and selecting a Columbia River water exchange project, and
b) construction of the least cost per acre-foot Columbia River exchange project as a replacement project for a major water supply project that does not move forward and/or to meet additional water needs as may subsequently be required. And
c) that the Bureau of Reclamation’s withdrawal right of Columbia River water for a water exchange in the Yakima River basin shall be continued.
d) The pumping power rate used for the Columbia River water exchange project shall be consistent with the rate for the delivery of surface water to the Odessa Groundwater Area of the Columbia Basin Project.
e) Storage, conservation and passage must proceed concomitantly, and must be so linked in the legislation.

SUMMARY: What we have learned from the past 65 years is that failure to provide sufficient volume for both instream and out of stream use jeopardizes both, and we will repeat our past; fighting in court for drops, when we need thousands of acre feet to resolve this long standing unresolved conflict, and realize the basin’s potential. The additional water needs to be enough for to compensate for climate change, multiple year droughts, ground water replenishment, and enough to protect and restore fish life throughout the Yakima Basin, but most specifically in the lower Yakima River, and to address emerging ESA issues.

YBSA remains committed to support this opportunity to resolve the basin’s inadequate water supply with substantive long-term solutions. We appreciate the opportunity to provide our perspective, to voice our concerns and ideas, to have them addressed so that we may support the In-Stream and Out-of-Stream Needs Recommendations and ultimately the IWRMP for the Yakima River Basin.

See updated information that includes video of salmon spawning in the Yakima River Basin at www.ybsa.org

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

YBSA Monthly Report
August, 2010

Integrated Water Resource Management Plan: The proposed Integrated Plan is moving forward with water supply projects (storage) being included which may not be completed. The current plan with all the proposed storage projects still is inadequate to supply the water to meet the identified needs during drought years. The amount of water available and costs, including operational costs, of the five structural projects proposed (Keechelus-to-Kachess Pipeline, Kachess Inactive Storage, Wymer Reservoir, Enlarged Bumping Reservoir, & Enlarged Cle Elum Reservoir) has not been identified and the probability of any of those five being completed in time to (or maybe not at all) improve anadromous fish runs, ensure our agricultural economy, a constant water supply, and provide water for municipal growth.

Climate Change Inclusion: Climate change scenario has not been incorporated in each of the proposed parts of the plan including habitat and fish passage. A detailed review of climate change should be part of the plan because it affects the storage and water supply available.

Effects of Climate Change: As published in the Environmental New Service Michael J. Scott, staff scientist at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, said, “Our behavior where we live must change with the climate if we are to stave off economic and natural catastrophe and meet the challenge Mother Nature may hand us in the next few years.”

The Yakima River Valley is a vast fruit basket, with 370,000 irrigated acres of orchards, vineyards and other crops covering 6,150 square miles from the river’s headwaters in the Cascade Range east of Seattle to the Yakima’s terminus at the Columbia River in Richland. In a typical year, five reservoirs and stream runoff provide agriculture with 2.7 million acre-feet of water. In a typical year at mid-21st century, the amount is forecast to fall an average of 20 to 40 percent.

“The expected losses to agriculture along in the Yakima Valley over the next several decades will be between $92 million at two degrees Centigrade warming and $163 million a year at four degrees,” or up to nearly a quarter of total current crop value, Scott said.

Those losses will result from a projection based on shortage of water for irrigation. That water comes from reservoirs and runoff that are, in turn, tied directly to the amount of snow that accumulates in the Cascades over the winter, the snow pack.

Salmon River Walk: Bob Tuck provided a Salmon walk on the American River August 9th & 10th. The groups had an opportunity to view a female preparing a place in the riffle to deposit her eggs. The male stayed nearby to fertilize those eggs. The fertilized eggs were then covered with fine gravel until they hatch. Another Salmon walk will take place in the Cle Elum River during two weeks in the middle of September. Bob explained the hazards the smolts and returning Salmon face in their lifetime. Additional water made available in the Yakima River basin by using Columbia River water for irrigation purposes would provide the flows needed to enhance the existing salmon runs and provide an opportunity for those historical runs that are almost extinct to be restored.

See updated information at www.ybsa.org

YBSA Monthly Report
July, 2010

Columbia River Water Exchange:

1. The Yakima River Basin has a long history of an inadequate water supply to meet competing water resource needs. Each year we are faced with the need for an adequate snowpack to sustain and enhance our anadromous fishery resources, provide water to irrigate our agricultural crops (a mainstay of our economy), and meet the municipal and domestic needs of our growing population. We have attempted to address this matter through the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project and other programs focusing on conservation measures to reduce irrigation diversions; while progress has been made we are nevertheless faced with the fact that additional infrastructure is necessary (particularly storage) if we are to assure a reliable water supply for the future.

2. YBSA believes a Columbia River water exchange provides us with the best opportunity – – substituting water from the Columbia River to irrigate some of our crop lands and leaving Yakima River water, current diverted, instream for our anadromous fishery.

3. A Columbia River water exchange addresses the Yakima River basin’s water resource issues for both the short and long term and once and for all provides a reliable water supply which has eluded us for decades to sustain our economic, environmental, and cultural resources.

A water exchange program with the Columbia River has proven successful in the Umatilla Basin and a similar program has been approved and funding is being requested for the Walla Walla Basin. It’s time the Yakima Basin embarks on a long term solution to our need for more water.

More Water for Fish: YBSA will continue to participate in the Integrated Water Resource Manage Plan (IWRMP) Work Group to find a solution for our water short years including consecutive drought years. Additional habitat, fish passage, and additional water in the lower Yakima River will provide an opportunity for up to 1 million returning salmon to the river provided water is available.

IWRMP: The current discussion by the Work Group to provide additional storage facilities are all located within the Yakima Basin.

1. Transferring water from Lake Keechelus to Lake Kachess and drawing down about 200,000 a/f of dead storage below the existing water level that is available now.

2. Wymer Dam and Reservoir would be filled by pumping water from the Yakima River near Thorp to Wymer about midway through the Yakima River Canyon. It would provide 160,000 a/f each year for fish and irrigation.

3. Bumping Lake Enlargement would be created by building a new dam down stream on the Bumping River. Approximately 190,000 a/f could be available with the large reservoir site being constructed. The existing lake shore activities would be inundated and habitat (Bull Trout) would be compromised. Historic figures show a probability that the enlarged lake might not fill every year.

The next step in developing the IWRMP is for the consulting team to refine the concepts and prepare cost estimates for each of the above projects. Additional results will be presented at the September Work Group meeting. Conceptual results for other actions Yakima/Columbia Water Availability and Hydrologic Modeling will be the focus of the August Work Group meeting.

Points of Interest:

 The Colorado River storage system has a 5 year supply of stored water and the Yakima system has less than a 1 year supply.

 The lower Yakima River needs to have all the floodplain made available for salmon recovery.

 More water is needed to develop the lower river for improved temperature and habitat.

 Fish biologists seem to be willing to discard the lower river for anything but passage for salmonoids to get to the upper Yakima Basin.

 Sockeye successes are large in the Columbia River and increasing the run in the Yakima River would require cooler water temperatures and more water.

See updated information at www.ybsa.org