March 6th
With the recent local compliance action taken by the Washington
State Department of Ecology, folks are asking how they can prevent
similar problems from occurring on their own property. First and
foremost, if you have an issue with a waterway on your property,
find out exactly what that waterway is. Oftentimes it's hard to
tell the difference between a stream, an irrigation lateral, or
a field drain--but the type of water you're dealing with can make
all the difference in the world. Examine your property description
or consult with your irrigation district to help you accurately
identify the waterway in question.
If the waterway is an irrigation canal or lateral, contact the irrigation
provider. Depending on where in the system the problem is located,
your water provider may be able to resolve the problem. If the issue
is outside their domain, they'll let you know that, but may still
offer pointers on the best solution to your problem.
If the waterway is a stream or a drain, consult with WDFW before
taking any action. Brent Renfrow is located here in Ellensburg,
and he'll come to your property to identify the best solution to
your problem, as well as let you know what permitting--if any--
is needed in your situation. Brent can be reached at (509) 925-1013.
Sometimes compliance actions take place not because of something
a landowner did, but beaus of something they didn't do. Check back
soon to find out the specific BMP's that Ecology will be looking
for in their upcoming compliance monitoring throughout the valley.
I'll try to have those posted by the end of the week.
Established
in 1999
Next General Meeting:
Thursday, March 8th, 2012
1:00 pm at the KRD office
Upcoming Presentations:
Ag Appreciation Day for county
schools and home-schoolers; March 29th
Contact us for a presentation
specifically tailored for your event or club.
Recent Presentations:
Kittitas County Hay Growers
Meeting; Thursday, February 3rd
E3 Winter
Fair; Saturday, January 29th, 2011
Ellensburg Water Company's
Annual Meeting; January 19th at Hal Holmes
CWU's Environmental Resource Management
Association (student club) "Arid
Lands" film review and panel discussion; Hal Holmes
Community Center; April 13th; 5:30 p.m.
Ellensburg Community Gardeners; April
1st; 6:30 p.m.
Elementary Ag Appreciation Day in
Bllom Pavillion; March 16th
WATERS program at Mt.Stuart Elementary
School; March 11th
Master Gardener's Annual Training;
March 9th at 9:00
Expanding Your Horizons at CWU; for
Middle/High School Girls interested in science; March 6th