YBSA Monthly Report
August, 2009

Solution to Work Group Elements: The Work Group continues to listen to presentations explaining each element of DOE’s proposed integrated water enhancement plan. The purpose of the explanation of each of the seven elements is to provide information which could be used to assemble a single integrated package by the end of December, 2009. Water supply to allow the package to be implemented is the single part of the package that appears to be the most difficult to quantify. The irrigation community need additional water currently with frequent droughts occurring, fish need cool, clear water to survive and return to spawn and municipalities need water to address the increases in population. With climate change occurring, along with frequent droughts, quantifying the amount of water needed for the survival of fish, to enhance our agricultural base, and the growth in population can only be solved by inter-basin transfer of water from the Columbia River to the Yakima River.

BOR Study: The $18 million study by the Bureau of Reclamation is complete. The good news is that a pumped-storage reservoir at Black Rock can be built, and surplus water is available from the Columbia River during high-flow months when electricity is cheap.

The federal study recommends “no action”. All of us at YBSA believe our Basin cannot survive with no action as climate change will squeeze the water supply and drought years come closer together.

Work Group Meetings: The State Department of Ecology (DOE) has advanced their own plan for water management in the Basin. They put together a Work Group and asked that all interested parties come together, look at all the studies that have been done through the years, and find an answer that works for everyone, both now and in the future. YBSA concurres with this approach.

The BOR and DOE have taken the lead and are now holding roundtable meetings every two weeks. Most of the group represents government at some level, including irrigation districts, the Yakama Nation, fish agencies, and city and county officials. YBSA is the only broad-based volunteer group involved.

YBSA announced at the opening roundtable session that we would be fighting to meet the three congressional mandates; water for fish, for people, for irrigation, and for satisfying these needs with the least-cost alternative. Since studies have a tendency to look only at the past, we are insisting that climate change projections be included.

Large Bumping Lake expansion, supported by the state DOE, has a “fatal flaw” because of the Bull Trout listed under the Endangered Species Act and was removed from consideration by the Work Group. The DOE’s version of storage at Wymer includes 44 miles of canal and 4 of tunnel to solve about 10 percent of the water supply shortage.

Climate change has to be taken into consideration when reviewing the water needs for each of the seven elements of the plan. Most of the projects in the integrated water resource plan have been discussed and studied for years. Additional conservation and ground water storage would provide very little of the water needed to solve the ongoing water needs of the Yakima Basin now and in the future. Fish passage, modifying structures, fish enhancement elements, and tributary habitat improvements enhance the salmon recovery and resident fish survival but provide no new water.

The potential of an inter-basin water exchange from the Columbia is still viable and may be looking better as we proceed with the Work Group process.

See www.ybsa.org for more information.

YBSA Monthly Report
July, 2009

Education on YRBIWRMA: YBSA is eager to learn about the elements in the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resources Management Alternative proposal by the Department of Ecology. YBSA will continue to pursue a comprehensive program that will fulfill the criteria set by Congress that will ensure enough water for the Yakima Basin. Climate change with more frequent droughts will jeopardize the environment and economy of the Yakima Basin.

Work Group Sessions: The first two Work Group sessions were devoted primarily to explanations of the 7 elements DOE proposed to solve the water problems of the Yakima Basin. Explanation of storage, fish passage at existing reservoirs, structural and operational changes, and fish habitat were expanded to include conservation, new storage including an expansion of Bumping Lake, direct pump from the Columbia River. The amount of water needed in the basin and the number of fish each project would generate were not discussed.

Conservation and Enhancement Legislation: Phase II of Title XII the Enhancement Legislation approved in 1994 provides funding annually for conservation projects including special funding for the Yakama Nation and the Wapato Irrigation District. Fish habitat and fish passage, enhancement of water in tributaries, and acquisition of property for habitat are also included in the existing enhancement legislation.

It was pointed out that many of the programs proposed in the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management alternative are included in the Title XII Enhancement program and have been funded since 1994 and will continue to be funded in the future.

Storage and Fish Passage: The development of a large amount of stored water, with fish passage at the existing reservoirs, will enhance the fisheries, including introduction of renewed species, prevent droughts, address the possibility of climate change, provide the water for municipal growth, and provide the water necessary to recharge the ground water.

The two items of the elements of the IWRMA the Work Group discussed at length were additional storage and fish passage at existing reservoirs. Comments such as:
large Bumping Lake option may be problematic for fish agencies,
flows in the Naches arm need to be addressed to balance flip-flop,
storage provides value to the Yakama Nation, the Wapato Irrigation Project and fisheries,
water demand needs to meet 70% reliability,
the basin does not have an adequate supply of water currently,
need passage at Lake Cle Elum and Bumping Lake when water supply has been solved.

Discussion so far on additional storage has not identified the additional water needed for fish, irrigation, or municipal use. The presentation on new storage identified in the Yakima River Basin Storage Study dismissed stored inter-basin transfer of Columbia River water, Wymer and Yakima River Pump Exchange as not economically justified. Bumping Lake expansion, Wymer Reservoir, Pine Hollow Reservoir were presented along with ground water storage.

Discussion has to include costs of the project, the amount of water each project would provide, the number of fish that would benefit from the additional water, how long it would take to complete the project, if it’s environmentally compatible, and is the project able to be developed.

With more frequent droughts and climate change the Yakima Basin cannot wait to develop a solution.

It was pointed out that the Yakama Nation has irrigation needs as well as fisheries interests and treaty rights need to be honored.

See www.ybsa.org for more information.

YBSA Monthly Report
June, 2009

YRBWEP Work Group: YBSA was invited to participate in the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP) 2009 work group. The Bureau of Reclamation and Washington State Department of Ecology convened the work group at 10:00 am, June 30. That group will use 30 years of information to develop a comprehensive water resources plan for the basin. Chairman Sid Morrison will occupy YBSA’s seat at the table.

Congress Criteria: YBSA’s goal is to make sure we have an adequate supply of water for the future. The 3 criteria adopted by Congress and evaluated in the Yakima River Basin Storage Study demonstrated that a large amount of storage would be necessary to: improve resident anadromous fish habitat with a more normal flow in the Yakima River, provide a minimum of 70% water supply for proratable irrigation districts even in the 3rd year of a drought, and make additional water available for municipal growth for the next 50 years. We believe if the work group can adopt a plan that meets the criteria in a timely manner the Yakima Basin’s fish and the economy will prosper.

YRBWEP Phase III: We are now in the process of developing Phase III of the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, Title XII Public Law 103-434 adopted October 31, 1994. Phase I approved in 1984 provided funding for fish screens and fish passage (small projects) and fish ladders. Phase II approved in 1994 included money to develop and implement a program: to protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife through water management; improved instream flows; improved water quality; protection, creation and enhancement of wetlands; and by other appropriate means of habitat improvement; to improve the reliability of water supply for irrigation; to authorize a Yakima River Basin water conservation program; to provide for implementation by the Yakama Nation of an irrigation demonstration project, Wapato Irrigation Project improvements, and a Toppenish Creek Corridor enhancement project; authorization to evaluate Lake Cle Elum and Kachess Lake for additional storage was also included. The Chandler Pumping plant was to be electrified so as to provide more instream flow in the lower Yakima River

Additional Storage Concern: YBSA’s concern is, with more frequent droughts along with climate change, continuing with a plan that envisions more small projects without additional storage will destroy both the economy and our attempt to restore fish runs in the Yakima River Basin.

Title XII Enhancement: The 1994 Title XII Enhancement Legislation was a program, which over the last 15 years, was to improve water supply, fish passage, and habitat which would lead us to Phase III storage. Funding for Phase II continues today and the package of projects proposed by DOE could be implemented. The next two meetings of the YRBWEP Work Group will be July 15th and 29th. They will convene at 9:30 am at the Yakima Arboretum.

See www.ybsa.org for more information.

YBSA Monthly Report
May, 2009

Salmon Recovery: Yakima Basin Storage Alliance is concerned that not all fish projects have been evaluated equally. What are the true costs and how many more fish will there be returning to the Yakima River Basin when the project is completed. There needs to be adequate flows in the lower reach of the river so a greater number of fish can return to make additional habitat and passage over the existing reservoirs beneficial.

Climate Change: The climate change study which was just completed for the Department of Ecology by the University of Washington Climate Group indicates snowpack in the Cascades will be reduced. Two-thirds of the water needed in the Yakima River comes from snow melt. Storage provides about one-third of the water needed. Department of Ecology and the Bureau of Reclamation must utilize climate change data to forecast the most likely scenario that will occur in the next ten to twenty years.

More New Water Needed: YBSA pushed for a study and funding for the Yakima River Basin Storage Feasibility Study which was completed by the Bureau of Reclamation. The Study stated the Black Rock Reservoir project would meet all three criteria set by Congress. The Bureau concluded that a no action alternative was their recommendation after the study was completed due to the estimated cost of the total program. This left the Yakima Basin with no solution to solve our water problems.

The Bureau of Reclamation along with the State Department of Ecology have now received additional funding to organize a Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP), 2009 workgroup. The plan is attempt to find a solution to head off additional droughts and climate change which would endanger both salmon recovery and the basins economy.

YBSA is stepping back as requested by our elected officials from Benton and Yakima Counties and will participate in the workgroup. The Yakima Basin Storage Alliance only goal is to ensure sufficient new water is available to meet the 3 criteria set by Congress.
 Improve anadromous fish habitat by restoring the flow regimes of the Yakima and Naches Rivers to resemble more closely the natural (unregulated) hydrograph.
 Improve the water supply for proratable (junior) irrigation entities by providing a not-less-than-70% irrigation water supply for irrigation districts during dry years.
 Meet future municipal water supply needs by maintaining full municipal water supply for existing users and providing additional surface water of 182,000 acre-feet for population growth to the year 2050.

See www.ybsa.org for more information.

YBSA Monthly Report
April, 2009

Meeting with Irrigators: YBSA Board of Directors met with Jerry Haak, Chair of the Roza Sunnyside Board of Joint Control, and Ric Valicoff, Chair of the Roza Irrigation Board. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways we might work together to assure the availability of sufficient water which would prevent droughts. Discussions also included the possible reduction of snow pack in the Cascades which is being predicted and how climate change should be addressed. We agreed to exchange memorandums in an attempt to reach a consensus.

Meeting with Dale Bombrich (NOAA): Members of the Executive Committee met with Dale to discuss the merits of a comprehensive legislative package similar to the Environmental and Salmon Recovery Proposal drafted by YBSA. The proposed legislation would be structured to meet the present and future instream and out-of-stream water needs of the Yakima Basin. YBSA understands the concerns of the fish management entities about how the Black Rock Reservoir would be used to help resolve fish flow issues in the basin. After 20 plus years and billions of dollars spent on the Title XII Enhancement program we still have years of insufficient water for fish, irrigation, and municipal growth.

Water Resource Crossroads: A combination of water supply and aquatic habitat measures are necessary to assure the sustainability of our irrigated agricultural economy and enhance our fishery resources. We know what is occurring in other river basins as to water and fishery resources and the supply and demand conflict. We are at a critical crossroads with respect to our water resources and are most concerned if these issues are not fully addressed now, this “hard-to-come-by” opportunity will be lost.

Kiewitt Pacific Company: YBSA met with Chuck Nylund, Assistant District Manager, and Bart Happer, Business Development Specialist from the Vancouver, Washington office of Kiewitt Pacific Company, a large international construction firm. Mr. Nyland and Mr. Happer had reviewed the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) Yakima River Basin Storage Study.

Prior to the meeting with YBSA, Ron Reiland, a retired engineer and volunteer YBSA board member, visited the proposed Black Rock site and Priest Rapids Dam with Nyland and Happer. Chuck Nyland was one of the supervisors during the construction of the East Dam of Diamond Lake in Southern California in the 1990’s and both men expressed an interest in the Black Rock Dam Project. If the money was available for construction and being able to build a dam without getting their feet wet, they believed Black Rock could be completed in 3 years. Kiewitt certainly would partner with other companies because the size of the project merited diversification. They promised to review the BOR’s numbers and estimate the construction cost to build Black Rock.

Watershed Planning: The Federal Bureau of Reclamation and the State Department of Ecology are convening a work group to attempt to develop a comprehensive water resource plan for the Yakima River Basin. The Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement project (YRBWEP) 2009 work group will meet for the first time in June. YBSA applauds the effort and plans to participate.

See the YBSA website at www.ybsa.org.

YBSA Monthly Report
March, 2009

Solution to Our Water Problems: The goal of YBSA has been from the start of the Storage Study was to acquire water from the Columbia River to prevent droughts which harm fish, destroy the environment, damage the economy, including irrigated agriculture and leave the cities and towns with rationing. Mixing Columbia River water with Yakima River water would harm salmon returning to the Yakima River, damming up existing rivers creates problems, and direct pumping from the Columbia River during irrigation season would threaten the Columbia River flow targets, YBSA chose to pursue off stream storage as the solution. YBSA asked Congress to find a solution to ensure a sufficient water supply for the future even with climate change. Congress directed the Bureau to study how additional stored water could (1) improve anadromonous fish habitat by restoring Yakima and Naches River flow regimes to better approximate the naturally (unregulated) hydrograph, (2) improve the water supply for proratable (junior) irrigation entities by providing at least 70% irrigation water for districts during consecutive dry years, and (3) meet future municipal water supply needs for the next 50 years. The Storage Study concluded the best and only method to accomplish the 3 tasks was stored water from the Columbia River. YBSA’s draft Yakima River Basin Environmental and Salmon Restoration program was developed as a possible program to satisfy the needs of the Yakima Basin for the next 100 years.

BOR Report to YBSA Board: Wendy Christianson and Kim McCartney reported the BOR is reviewing comments on the EIS. The Bureau is considering Benton County, Yakima County, and YBSA’s request to delay the Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD decision at this point in time would recommend No-Action. Unless Congress gives the Bureau of Reclamation an exception to find the best cost alternative that answers the three criteria set by Congress the Bureau can not proceed to draw a conclusion.

Movement Toward Solution to Water Problem: YBSA and guests presented to the Roza Sunnyside Joint Board of Control reasons why everyone in the Yakima Basin should join together to find a more permanent solution to prevent additional water short years. Predictions by the University of Washington Climate Impact Group (see www.cses.washington.edu/cig/outreach/waccia/index.html ) show a possible 30% reduction in snow pack by the 2020’s and up to 65% by the 2080’s. Since two-thirds of our water during the summer and fall comes from snow pack, available water from snow could be reduced by approximately 400,000 a/f in the year 2020. The Yakima Basin reservoir system, which provides approximately one-third of the water needed, will be less likely to supply water to all its users, especially those with junior water rights without the available water to fill the reservoirs with the reduction in snow pack.

The inclusion of Bumping Lake enlargement as means of acquiring more water for the Basin is not feasible. Bumping Lake Reservoir, if expanded, violates all sorts of existing policy by building a dam on an active stream, endangered species exist in the current reservoir and the river that would be impounded, it’s adjacent to a Federal Wilderness Area, and the release of water will further deteriorate the habitat in Bumping River. Bumping Lake, as a storage component, has been rejected by the Bureau of Reclamation repeatedly.

YBSA is now willing to step back and let a different level of government see if they can work with both the State and Federal Governments and meet the criteria established by Congress. YBSA has worked for years to find a solution to the water shortages in the Basin and were pleased that the Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility showed the only solution for survival in the future for fish, agriculture, and municipal needs is an inter-basin transfer of water from the Columbia to the Yakima Basin.

See our website at www.ybsa.org

YBSA Monthly Report
January, 2009

Review of Study: Yakima Basin Storage Alliance, with professional help, reviewed the Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Ecology’s solutions to solve the problem of insufficient water available in the Yakima Basin. Both of their studies fail to adequately incorporate existing and future impacts to the Basin and fail to address the basin’s future vitality. The Study was to find a way to improve fish passage, create a more normal flow in the Yakima River, insure a minimum of 70% water supply even in consecutive drought years, and provide enough water for municipal growth for the next 50 years. The conclusion the Bureau arrived at was to do nothing. The Ecology’s program was to continue the programs that have existed for decades with no appreciable increase in available water. Both conclusions leave the Yakima Basin in the same position we’ve been in for decades, which is a very small number of fish returning to the Yakima River and its tributaries, drought conditions every few years and not enough water for municipal growth. Add to that the climatologists’ predictions which state the Yakima Basin could have drought conditions every other year.

Conference with Director of DOE: In a video conference with Jay Manning, Director of the Department of Ecology, YBSA was informed that Bumping Lake was still an option even though it was eliminated as a storage site because the enlarged lake would not fill annually and it would infringe upon an environmentally sensitive area. There was no cost/benefit analysis, but it was still included as the only storage option in the Yakima Basin in the Ecology proposal.

Continuing the Storage Study: YBSA concurs with Benton and Yakima Counties position of continuing the Storage Study for another year. The final report of the Yakima River Basin feasibility Study would explain how the request from Congress to generate more water for fish, restoring the flow of the Yakima River as close to an unregulated hydrograph as possible, provide a minimum 70% of irrigation water to all proratable districts, and provide additional surface water for population growth to the year 2050 could be accomplished. By taking a do noting position the $18 million spent to find a solution to solve the water problems identified by Congress leaves the Yakima Basin high and dry.

New Guidelines: On November 8, 2007 the Water Recourses Development Act required the Corp of Engineers to revise the 1983 Principals and Guidelines. The revisions are to reflect national priorities, encourage economic development, and protect the environment such as: maximizing sustainable economic development, avoid the unwise use of flood-prone areas and to protect and restore the functions of natural systems. The new guidelines may make the Bureau’s No-Action result in direct conflict with the new Principals and Guidelines.

Ground Water Study: The ground water study that will be available shortly will show a direct connection between instream flow and ground water. There already exist moratoriums preventing the use of wells because of a drop in the water tables. How do you recharge the aquifers? You provide a greater amount of instream flow so the increased volume of water would recharge the shallow aquifers. The only solution to solve the water needs in the Yakima Basin is a large storage project.

To find more information on the reasons why the Bureau of Reclamation should continue the Study see www.ybsa.org.

YBSA Monthly Report
December, 2008

Feasibility Study: The final amended final planning report of the Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study tells us that the Black Rock Reservoir and water distribution system is technically feasible, can be built and is the only option that meets all the water supply criteria established by Congress. The criteria set by Congress includes: to improve anadromous fish habitat and create a more natural flow in the Yakima and Naches Rivers, to provide proratable (junior) irrigators with not less than 70% water supply during dry years, and maintain a full municipal water supply for future growth. The Yakima Basin Storage Alliance and supporters of a comprehensive solution to the water problems in the Yakima Basin agree with the findings and will continue to pursue authorization of the Yakima River Basin Environmental and Salmon Recovery proposal which includes the Black Rock Project.

The important additions to the Study included; methods for mitigation of ground water movement when completed would not affect the containments in the sediments at the Hanford Site. (see pages 4-36, 37) Reductions in flows in the Columbia River would occur when water would be stored in Lake Roosevelt and Banks Lake. These reductions would be in addition to pumping under the Black Rock Alternative but would not prevent pumping to Black Rock Reservoir in September, even in drought years. The impact would be reduced, however, because the Black Rock Alternative would increase discharges down the Yakima River during September by about 700-1000 cfs. (see pages 4-16, 17)

Under the Black Rock Alternative the irrigation proration level is improved to the 70% goal in the third year of the 3-year dry cycle. (see page 4-12) With approximately 400-600 thousand a/f available when Black Rock Reservoir is operational the negative affect of the flip-flop will be eliminated. (see 4-123, 124)

DOE Draft EIS: The Department of Ecology Supplemental Draft EIS of the Storage Study misses the point entirely. There is not enough water in the Yakima Basin to satisfy our needs every year for fish, agriculture, and municipal use. The proposed Water Resource Management Alternative program reduces the existing supply and with possible climate change will create a greater problem in the future. The smorgasbord of projects (pages s-2, 3) listed might be funded over a period of years without the possibility of additional water therefore our problems would increase. The Draft suggests additional storage which is not an option in the Yakima River Basin. The Yakima Basin doesn’t need additional dams and the proposed Bumping Lake enlargement is not only a detriment to the environment it would only have 4,418 a/f available during dry years. (see table D-3 monthly volume of water available for storage at Bumping Lake 1981-2005) The cost estimates for the Resource Management Alternative is $2.4 billion and our problem of not having enough water in the Yakima Basin would still exist.

Comment Period DOE Draft EIS: The Department of Ecology has set their public comment period from December 10, 2008 to January 16, 2009 to respond to the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement based upon SEPA. We encourage everyone to respond reminding the DOE that the project was to improve fish habitat by restoring flows that resemble the natural hydrograph, assure proratable irrigation districts at a 70% supply during consecutive dry years, and meet municipal needs by supplying additional surface water for future growth which would not occur under the Water Resource Management Program. The report can be found at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/cwp/cr_yak_storage.html.

Comment Period BOR PR/EIS: The Bureau of Reclamation has published its Final Planning Report and Environmental Impact Statement, Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study. It contains new analysis on seepage mitigation measures and additional information on river flow, availability of water from the Columbia River and the amount of water available for fish and irrigation from Black Rock. A 45 day review and comment period is necessary because of the additional information on seepage from Black Rock. Comment may be submitted electronically to storagestudy@pn.usbr.gov. Comments must be postmarked by February 3, 2009. The Final PR/EIS can be found at: www.usbr.gov/pn.programs/storagestudy.

YBSA Advertisements: YBSA is continuing to publicize the benefits of the Yakima River Basin Environmental and Salmon Recovery program which includes the Black Rock Reservoir project on television, the radio, and newspapers. (See the attachment
YES IT CAN
NO ACTION = NO FUTURE

See www.ybsa.org for the real benefits that will occur with the Yakima River Basin Environmental and Salmon Recovery Plan which includes the Black Rock Reservoir Project.

YBSA Monthly Report
November, 2008

Public Relation Campaign: Yakima Basin Storage Alliance implemented a public relation campaign to illustrate how important the Black Rock Reservoir project is to Central Washington, the State of Washington, and the Nation. See informational video on bottom left of page at www.futureofourvalley.com. The project improves instream flow with an additional water supply for the Yakima River of about 600,000 acre-feet annually. With the availability of more water managed for salmon recovery, approximately 1 million salmon would return to the Yakima River and its tributaries. The Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study does not include 1 million salmon returning as a fish non-use benefit.

The Black Rock Project would add at least $469 million to the local and regional economy, create approximately 6,000 jobs, and the recreation benefit would exceed $1 billion. Again the Storage Study does not credit the Black Rock Project with the enormous benefit to the economy. See www.ybsa.org, BOR report, critique of the BOR benefit analysis.

With the economy in the doldrums a public works project, the Black Rock Reservoir, would create jobs, inject money into the economy and provide the Yakima Basin with the additional water which would benefit the Northwest for the next generation.

Obama’s Opinion: “Implementing a meaningful salmon population recovery plan will be a key environmental priority of my administration, and I support efforts to create a salmon recovery plan that balances all of these important environmental, agricultural, and renewable energy interests,” President-Elect Obama said in April in response to a written question from the Idaho Statesman. The newspaper followed up on that noncommittal reply with a direct question on dam breaching, and Obama aide Nick Shapiro replied, “Barack Obama believes action must be taken to protect the salmon population and ensure its survival for generations to come. To that end, he believes all efforts to restore habitat must be exhausted before dam breaching is considered.”

Value of Black Rock: Dr. Michael Barber, Director of the Washington Water Resource Center at WSU, said, “We have a finite amount of water. We need water. We need it for growth. People are coming. Our cities are expanding. Most places have population projections that are still trending upward. There are huge issues related to how much water is needed for salmon, and we still get a good portion of our GDP from agricultural sources.” Competition for our resources comes from fish, farms, and towns; there is another thing to consider.

“When you superimpose the problems associated with climate change, where we have perhaps more water in the winter but less water in the summer, when we all need it, we are setting ourselves up for some very tough years.”

“‘Black Rock Reservoir” is a proposal being evaluated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, would take water out of the Columbia River during winter time, or high flow periods, pump it up into an off-channel reservoir, off-channel means it’s not on an existing stream, it’s on a kind of dry gulch, and then they would release it for irrigation purposes in the Yakima Valley, and the Yakima irrigators would not take their water out of the Yakima River. So the river flows would be higher for salmon.”

“We have water during the peak snow melt. In general we don’t have a shortage in March or April. We have our shortages in July, August, and September. Their plan would be to take that water when it wasn’t needed in the Columbia, pump it up over a hill into a different watershed. While it’s technically feasible to do that, the real impediment is going to be cost.”

Storage Study Completion: Kim McCartney, Storage Study Manager, reported that the final report of the Yakima River Basin Storage Study will be published late December, 2008. It is in final review by the Bureau of Reclamation in Boise, Idaho. There will be two volumes; one will be the original Study and the second volume will contain the EIS comments and the answers to those comments. The seepage mitigation report will be completed by late December. There will be a 45 to 60 day comment period for comments on the mitigation report prior to completion. Fish non-use values will be discussed in the answers developed based upon the EIS comments. NO change in value will be presented for fish-nonuse.

DOE Feasibility Study: The Department of Ecology is in the process of finalizing the “Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement”. The Supplemental Draft EIS is expected to be released in early to mid-December, 2008.

YBSA Monthly Report
October, 2008

Presentation by Dr. Stanford: Dr. Jack Stanford’s presentation pointed out the possibilities of the return of 1 million Salmon to the Yakima River Basin. Those numbers can only be reached with more water available in the Yakima River managed for fish. YBSA sent a letter thanking Mose Squeochs, Chairman of the Yakama Nation General Council, for his attendance at the presentation. The letter, which also included an invitation to join together with all those interested in making Salmon recovery happen, as presented by Dr. Stanford. It was sent as a cc to Tribal Council Chair Mel Sampson, Jr. and the Chairs of the Yakama Nation Legislative and Fish Committees.

Benefits of Additional Water: YBSA has to define what the cost of doing nothing would be without securing additional water for our Basin and must continue to point out the benefits of the additional water made available by the Black Rock Project. Due to the restrictions of the Federal guideline the Bureau of Reclamation had to follow in the Storage Study, the true benefits of the project could not be included.

We cannot continue with a piecemeal approach to solve the water shortage that exists and will continue to deteriorate with climate change. The plan for the next 6 months is to explain why a large amount of additional water is the only real solution for the diverse needs in the Yakima Basin.

BOR Report on Fish Ladders: The report “Fish Ladders Feasibility at Yakima River Basin Storage Reservoirs” states the 2 year Federal Study concluded that it is feasible to add fish ladders at two Yakima River Basin Storage Reservoirs, the Cle Elum and Bumping. The plan by BOR is to launch an environmental review and complete design construction costs for Cle Elum dam. Its estimated cost is about $100 million.

The report said in years with average water supply, fish could use the Cle Elum ladder from March to the end of June. The plan projects that adult fish returning to the dams would then be trapped and then hauled around the dam and placed in the lake.

Fish ladders are an important part of a comprehensive program to recover 1 million Salmon as proposed in the Yakima Basin Environmental and Salmon Recovery program (see www.ybsa.org). With more water remaining in the existing reservoirs because Black Rock would provide water for irrigation, the fish ladder proposal would be greatly enhanced and be able to be used more than four months. The cost of the proposal to truck fish for the next 100 years should be evaluated. A cost-benefit analysis for this project, which could continue to cost the public for the next 100 years, should be completed. The BOR report can be found at www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/ucao_misc/fishpassage/index.html.

A comprehensive solution as described in the Yakima River Basin Environmental and Salmon Recovery proposal would provide all the water needed for fish, agriculture, and municipal and industrial needs.