NEWS

March 16: The 2011 sampling season begins in two weeks! Time is running out to get your water quality imporvemetn projects in place. Remember that 2011 is the sediment TMDL complaince year, so it is more important than ever to make sure the water leaving your property is clean. Need help funidng your project? Give me a call at 925-6158.

March 10

The following message comes to us from CWU. If you have the time, please follow the links below to provide your feedback on this new interactive water rights map.

Hello, my name is Michael Pease and I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Central Washington University. As part of a Department of Agriculture grant, I have created a water resource decision support system (WRDSS) for the Kittitas Valley. I am now seeking participation in a survey to elicit feedback on the DSS to assess its utility for individual stakeholders and water management institutions.

This survey consists of two sections and will take roughly ten minutes to complete. First, you will be asked a short series of questions concerning the current state of water use in the Kittitas Valley. In the second section, you will be asked to evaluate the draft WRDSS.

Reasonable and appropriate safeguards have been used in the creation of the web-based survey to maximize the confidentiality and security of your responses; however, when using information technology, it is never possible to guarantee complete privacy. To add to security, the survey is anonymous, and please feel free to omit any information you do not fee comfortable providing. Let me know if you have any questions regarding the survey’s content, scope, or intent or the content and scope of the WRDSS.

To view the WRDSS, click on the link below. The WRDSS will open in a new internet window.
http://csi.gis.cwu.edu/YWRDSS/map.html

To participate in the survey, simply follow the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8QQ688Q

January 20

Please note: the February meeting of the KCWP Board of Directors has been moved up to Thursday, January 27th.

Happy New Year!

We hope to see you at the E3 Winter Fair on January 29th. Besides gifts from KEEN for the first 50 guests, there will be numerous door prizes from the various educational booths and vendors. Sign up at the KCWP booth for a chance to win a $30 gift certificate toward the KCCD native plant sale!

July, 2010

Junior water rights holders are happy to hear the latest water forecast, but we're all still shaking our heads in wonder at the strange year it's been so far. Sound water management is still vital, so if you have any questions, please get in touch.

Plans are almost finalized for the KCWP to become a partner with the the City of Ellensburg, the Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, and multiple other groups and agencies on the Lower Currier Creek Restoration project. We'll be contributing $80,00 of Ecology grant money this year, and will likely contribute a higher amount next year.

This money comes from the same pot as we build fences for livestock exclusion from waterways on irrigated lands. So, if you have a project you've been putting off, let us know ASAP, before the grant money is all gone.

As always, if you see a water quality problem anywhere in the valley, let us know. Ecology will soon be cracking down on problems harder than ever before, so lets get those solved before they're even bigger headaches for everyone involved.

May, 2010

Get Intimate with the Shrub Steppe! Come see us on Saturday, May 1st, at Helen McCabe park, just at the entrance of the Yakima Canyon.

Sampling is underway, and so far we've seen a cleaner spring than in the past. This is good news for maintaining healthy soil on the fields, as well as maintaining healthy habitat in and along the streams and river.

All the irrigation companies have turned on the water and started deliveries. If you notice sediment coming from your field and want to find permanent solutions to the problem, please give us a call. We can pay up to 75% of the project cost! If you see damaging levels of sediment entering a stream or canal, even if it's not your own, please let us know. If the irrigator is using water from an irrigation district or company, we can work with the owner to fix the situation. If the irrigator is using creek water, we still need to know so we can make sure that irrigation districts/companies aren't penalized by the Department of Ecology for the situation.

Work is continuing for the multi-agency supported Reecer Creek floodplain restoration project south of Dolarway and north of I-90. Volunteer opportunities are numerous, including planting and helping fish move out of the de-watered portion of the stream. If you can lend a hand, let us know!

April, 2010

It's April, and around here that means water sampling has begun again! Look for us out and about in the white pickup with the KRD logo. If you have any questions about what we're doing, feel free to contact us here in the office or out in the field.

This year's sampling regime includes sampling the tailend spill of the major irrigation districts' canals and key tributaries of the Yakima River. We're testing the turbidity, total suspended solids, temperature, and flow rate at each of these ten sites. Further, we have thermistors (electronic thermometers) distributed in creeks and the Yakima River throughout the county. We also have several tubidity sensors and loggers monitoring water quality at five locations.

2010 is designated as the compliance check under the Wilson Creek Sub-basin Bacteria TMDL. However, it sounds like Ecology lacks the funding to do the testing this year. What does this mean? You have one more year to ensure that livestock are fenced away from the creeks and irrigation ditches on your property. If you need financial assistance, please contact us. We can pay for up to 75% of the project cost!

Finally, did you catch the article about us in the Ellensburg Daily Record? The story isn't available online, but you might be able to get a copy from their office.

See you in the field!

March, 2010

Spring is upon us, and the water situation looks a bit tight for the year. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a cold wet spring and a cool summer with little wind!

2010 is the last year we have to make improvements to irrigated landscapes prior to the 2011 target set in Ecology's 2110 water cleanup plan (Upper Yakima River Basin Suspended Sediment and Organochlorine Pesticide Total Maximum Daily Load). Clicking the link at the bottom of the page will take you to an application form for financial assistance with projects that can reduce sediment in our canals and streams.

Bi-weekly water quality sampling will commence in April. Total Suspended Sediment (TSS), turbidity, temperature, and flow will be monitored at approximately ten sites throughout Kittitas Valley. Further temperature monitoring efforts extend countywide.

In other news, the KCWP is teaming up with the Mid-Columbia Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group, the City of Ellensburg, the Yakama Nation, and other agencies to reconnect a portion of Reecer Creek with its floodplain. Stay tuned for more details and pics of the site. This is an exciting project and should have impressive results for salmon rearing and spawning in our area.

Think spring, think rain, and think of the positive impacts you can make!