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Supporting
Washington's
Irrigation Districts 		 
  
    
Executive Office: 606 Columbia Street NW, Suite 211, Olympia, WA 98501    
Phone: 360-754-0756 ~ Fax: 360-584-9473    
 
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ASSOCIATION POLICY STATEMENTS
State Salmon
Recovery Strategy

The State of Washington must take the lead in developing and implementing a recovery strategy for salmonid species listed as threatened or endangered under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. The absence of a state plan that would allow the National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the federal courts to assume unilateral control of Washington's natural resources is unacceptable. The plan must balance the recovery of the species while maintaining the economic vitality of the region.
The burden and cost of salmon recovery should be fairly distributed with all interests contributing to the actions necessary to effect restoration of the resource. Willingness to take action is based on the sense that no single interest is being asked to bear a disproportionate share of the load.

Entities, such as irrigation districts, having direct, on-the-ground, responsibility to manage water resources should play a significant role in reviewing the workability, practicability and potential for success of any elements of a salmon recovery strategy. Recovery actions should be scientifically grounded with a high probability of achieving the desired effect. All beneficial uses of the State's water resources should be treated equally under the provisions of the recovery plan.
Flow Targets on the Columbia River
The annual quantity of water allocated to Columbia River flow augmentation should be reduced to 4 million acre feet or less and serious consideration should be given to utilizing this water only for late summer and/or early fall flow augmentation. There is significant evidence that spring and early summer flow augmentation is not providing any biological benefit.
Flow Targets on the Snake River
The annual quantity of water allocated to Snake River flow augmentation should not exceed the current 427,000 acre feet. Serious consideration should be given to utilizing this water only for late summer and/or early fall flow augmentation. There is significant evidence that spring and early summer flow augmentation is not providing any biological benefit.
Reclamation's Moratorium
on Columbia River Appropriations
The Bureau of Reclamation's administrative moratorium enforced on the Columbia Basin Project and elsewhere in the region that prohibits the use of already certificated and permitted water to serve additional agricultural, municipal/industrial and other project water uses already authorized by existing contractual authorities should be ended. The need for that moratorium is based on excessive flow augmentation allocations that are hydrologically unachievable and biologically unnecessary.

Statement on Water Efficiency Incentives
Public policy should change to provide positive incentives to accelerate improvements in water use efficiency by all water user categories. This includes a need to modify relinquishment provisions (use to or lose it). Saved water should be available for future use within the water user category achieving the improved efficiency. Removing the threat of loss and providing opportunities for growth through improved efficiency will lessen the competition for existing water and reduce the demand for new water. Over time, instream flow will benefit.
Commitment to
Water Quality

Irrigation districts are committed to meeting applicable state and federal water quality standards for the benefit of the landowners they serve and for the benefit of the multiple uses of water resources of which irrigated agriculture is an integral part. Throughout the State of Washington, irrigation districts are developing water quality programs to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century.

In the Yakima River Basin, the Roza-Sunnyside Board of Joint Control (RSBOJC) has established water quality objectives to match the Total Maximum Daily Loading (TMDL) goals that have been set for the lower Yakima River.

The RSBOJC is measuring 11 different water quality parameters to establish baseline data in an effort to determine the effectiveness of water conservation and water quality improvement projects.

The RSBOJC has adopted policies to improve water quality through a combination of policies, programs and projects.

The three Columbia Basin Project irrigation districts have expanded water quality monitoring programs to add to existing baseline data.

The Kittitas Reclamation District is collecting water quality data in anticipation of TMDL goal setting in the Kittitas Valley.

The Lake Chelan Reclamation District has been providing technical assistance to irrigators for six years through and innovative irrigation water management program. The program helps growers use irrigation water more efficiently while minimizing both runoff and deep percolation.

The Lake Chelan Reclamation District has monitored agricultural drains in the District for both trends and characterization since 1995. Monitoring included a wide variety of compounds, pesticides, herbicides and pollutants. A study was completed in 1998 comparing monitoring results with state standards and TMDL’s.

New Irrigation technology, both on-farm and in conveyance systems, is reducing agricultural water runoff.

Statement on Snake River Dam Removal and John Day Reservoir Drawdown

The destruction of the Snake River dams and the natural river drawdown of John Day reservoir should not be given further consideration. The biological uncertainty of these actions coupled with the combination of high direct implementation costs and great societal costs of foregone irrigation, navigation, hydropower and divisiveness of these proposals detract from the region's ability to focus on achievable salmon recovery measures.

Last updated April 30, 2010
©WSWRA 2009-2010