Yakima Basin Integrated Plan AWRA Summer Specialty Conference 2017 June 27, 2017 Tysons Corner, VA EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC
Yakima Basin Overview Basin size: 6,155 sq. miles Population: 360,000 $4 billion agriculture economy Historically, second only to Snake River in supporting salmon and steelhead runs
Yakima Basin Overview
Yakima Basin Water Management Managed by Bureau of Reclamation Five Reservoirs Capacity 1 Million acre-feet Average annual runoff: 3.3 Million acre-feet Irrigation deliveries: 2.3 million acre-feet Snowpack functions as sixth reservoir
Resource Challenges Surface Water is over-appropriated Not drought-resilient, droughts in 1992-94, 2005, and 2015 Prorateable (junior) irrigation districts and fisheries struggling Junior irrigations districts reduced to as little as 37% of allotments
Yakima River Basin Projected Supply and Demand in 2030
+ Reduced Fisheries Historic salmon and steelhead run: 800,000 fish Average run since 2000: 15,000 20,000 fish Native Coho, Sockeye and summer Chinook extirpated Coho: reestablished Sockeye: in process of reestablishment Spring and fall Chinook: Seriously reduced Steelhead and Bull trout ESA threatened species
Climate Change Forecast 2040 Projected Climate Change Impact on Summer Flows by Basin
(Earman and Dettinger, 2005)
(Earman and Dettinger, 2005)
Climate Change Impacts
The Yakima Plan: A balanced package of actions supported by: The Yakama Nation Federal Agencies Bureau of Reclamation US Fish and Wildlife US Forest Service State Agencies Dept of Ecology Dept of Agriculture Dept of Fish and Wildlife Irrigation Districts KRD Roza KID Sunnyside Yakima-Tieton Environmental & Recreation Groups American Rivers Trout Unlimited The Wilderness Society Local Governments Counties Cities
Seven Key Elements: Projects & Cooperation Seven Key Elements: Projects & Cooperation Three 10 year phases Habitat Restoration Surface Storage Groundwater Storage Structural Operational Changes Fish Passage Market-based Reallocation Water Conservation
The Yakima Plan is: A 30-year strategy Three 10-year phases First, Initial Development Phase ongoing ~$3 billion projects Meet all stakeholder needs Address all interests equally
Enhanced Water Conservation Sealing canals, installing pipes, eliminating leaks, building reregulation reservoirs Portion of conserved water returns to creeks for instream uses 85k acre feet conserved annually by 2023, in addition to irrigators conserving ~100k to date
Fish Passage Begun construction of fish passage at Cle Elum Reservoir Tieton-Rimrock passage to begin in next 7 years Studies underway at all other Yakima reservoirs 1-2.5K Sockeye reintroduced in 2009-2010, 85K smolt outmigrants in 2011, 25K adults returned in 2014
Surface Storage Need to make up 1.5 million acre-foot difference in snowpack and storage Accessing inactive storage at Kachess Reservoir Potential storage site at Wymer/expanding Bumping Reservoir in later phases
Structural/Operational Changes Reducing diversions at power stations Kachess-to-Keechelus Conveyance Raising Cle Elum reservoir pool 3 ft 14,600 acre feet of water
Habitat Restoration Teanaway Community Forest 50,241 acres, WA s first community forest Restored 5000+ acres of floodplain & shrub steppe Reconnected several miles of side channels
Market Reallocation & Groundwater Storage Working to develop guidelines City of Yakima recharging aquifer, pilot site KRD recharging groundwater through passive inundation
USGS SIR 2007-5007 + + Mean Annual Groundwater Recharge Predevelopment Current Conditions
Legislative Reauthorization Senate Bill 1694 o o Cosponsored by Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), passed Senate in Nov 2015 Unanimously attached to Energy Bill House of Representatives Bill 4686 Cosponsored by Representatives Dave Reichert and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) These bills: Endorse the YBIP and authorize its Initial Development Phase (first 10 years) Establish 50/50 state and federal/private cost share Irrigation districts and water users to fund infrastructure projects with interest Authorize agricultural conservation, habitat restoration and water use efficiency projects
Funding: State $163 million since 2013 Federal Senate Bill 1694: authorizes $92 million Companion House Bill: Feb 2016 Private Water users funding storage & infrastructure projects
Support for YBIP Legislation Federal Agencies Tribal Local Governments Businesses Conservation Groups NOAA/NMFS USFS US Bureau of Reclamation State Agencies WA Dept. of Ag. WA Dept. of Ecology WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Elected Representatives Governor Inslee Sen. Cantwell Sen. Murray Sen. Warnick Rep. Dent Rep. Manweller Rep. Newhouse Rep. Reichert Yakama Nation Political Committees Kittitas County Democrats Yakima County Democratic Committee Yakima County GOP Irrigation Districts Kennewick Irrigation District Kittitas Reclamation District Roza Irrigation District Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District Washington State Water Resources Association Yakima Tieton Irrigation District City of Cle Elum City of Ellensburg City of Grandview City of Granger City of Harrah City of Kittitas City of Mabton City of Moxee Town of Naches City of Roslyn City of Selah City of Sunnyside City of Tieton City of Toppenish City of Union Gap City of Wapato City of Yakima City of Zillah Yakima County Commissioners Kittitas County Commissioners Benton County Commissioners Red s Fly Shop Suncadia Resort Tamarack Guide Service Emerging Rivers Guide Service Ellensburg Canyon Winery Fremont Brewing Roy Farms Charlton Farms Valicoff Farms Kittitas Co. Chamber of Commerce Yakima Co. Chamber of Commerce Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce Port of Benton Port of Grandview Port of Sunnyside American Rivers Conservation Northwest Forterra Kittitas Conservation Trust National Wildlife Federation Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation The Nature Conservancy Trust for Public Land The Wilderness Society Washington Environmental Council Trout Unlimited Cowiche Canyon Conservancy Yakima Fly Fishers Headwaters Chapter TU
Thank You Dave Nazy Washington State Department of Ecology dave.nazy@ecy.wa.gov
Thank You Dave Nazy Washington State Department of Ecology dave.nazy@ecy.wa.gov
Thank You Dave Nazy Washington State Department of Ecology dave.nazy@ecy.wa.gov
Thank You Dave Nazy Washington State Department of Ecology dave.nazy@ecy.wa.gov
The Yakima Plan: An integrated plan that applies a balanced package of actions designed to provide: Water Supply Benefits Improve drought year supplies to junior irrigation districts up to 70% of allotment Provide water for growth for municipal and domestic uses Improve security of junior water rights in the basin Ecological Benefits Improve stream flow conditions Improve operational flexibility to manage flows and adapt to climate change Improve connectivity/viability of bull trout populations Improve habitat in floodplain, riparian zones and forested watersheds Increase and restore populations of Chinook, Coho, Steelhead and Sockeye
Dave Nazy, LHG dnazy@eaest.com EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC