October 25, 2000

The October 25, 2000 meeting of the Kittitas County Water Purveyors was called to order by Chairman Pat Clerf. Those in attendance were Jay Anderson, Vern Burghart, West Side Ditch Co.; Richard Bain, Wold Ditch; Jack Carpenter, Roger Satnik, Barbara Pettit, Jim Schnebly, Kittitas Reclamation District; David Chain, Natural Resource Conservation Service; Mark Charlton, Kittitas County Farm Bureau; Jack Clerf, Cascade Irrigation Company; Pat Clerf, Ellensburg Water Company; Jane Creech, Department of Ecology; Kevin Eslinger, Steve Rosbach, Paul Sorenson, Denmark Irrigators; Anna Lael, Kittitas County Conservation District; Pat Monk, Joint Board Fish Biologist; Richard Siderius, Mid State Coop; Pat Taylor, Olsen Ditch; Jim Milton, Tri County Water Resource Agency; Carol Ready, Kittitas County Water Purveyors; Kim Nelson, R.C. Bain & Assoc..

Item 1. Call to order

Pat Clerf, Chairman, declared the agenda for the October 25, 2000 meeting approved as presented. The minutes of the September 28, 2000 meeting were approved as presented.

Item 2. Staff Activities Update

Carol Ready presented information on the KCWP Display Booth at the Kittitas County Fair explaining they received ribbons and a premium check for $170.00. Carol further reported she is continuing work on the organization documents for KCWP and exploring EPA grant opportunities to support landowner outreach.

Item 3. Lower Yakima River Basin Report: Clean Water Act TMDL & Collaboration

Don Schramm, Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District, presented a review of the Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District and Roza Irrigation District activities explaining the water quality when they first started the project and the processes they have used and current results. Don continued explaining the Roza Sunnyside Board of Joint Control was established under authorizing legislation in 1996 with management objectives including water supply (water conservation, water transfers and water storage) and water quality (baseline data, meeting TMDL,( total maximum daily load or water clean up plan) goals for turbidity. Don further explained an advisory group of key landowners and agencies gives input to the RSBOJC board of directors on policy with the driving force being the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act and it being the "right thing to do".

The RBOJC water quality program objectives are to meet the TMDL (25 NTU by 2002), decrease runoff, increase overall water quality and reduce or eliminate erosion. Don explained they have already seen dramatic improvements. A loan program of $10 million dollars is available to assist landowners in making improvements in irrigation such as piping, conversion to sprinklers and drip systems and has a 4 (four) year low interest pay back

Item 4. ESA 4(d) Rule – Discussion on Options for Response

Carol Ready presented information from a 4(d) Workshop held in Yakima on October 24, 2000 explaining fish screens are required under 4(d) and that having an approved screen provides compliance coverage for diversions.

At a meeting with KCWP board members and Dr. Kate Vandemoer, National Marine Fisheries Service Mid Columbia Resource Recovery Coordinator, earlier in the day explaining additional routes of compliance were discussed including Section 10 of the ESA, or Habitat Conservation Plans. Habitat Conservation Plans cover everything outside fish screens including water quality, habitat, flows and other areas of concern to NMFS.

Discussion followed on alternatives for KCWP to gain compliance coverage for ESA.

Item 5. Meeting Schedule

Chairman Pat Clerf announced the next meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. November 16, 2000.

Respectfully Submitted,