September 28, 2000

KITTITAS COUNTY WATER PURVEYORS

The September 28, 2000 meeting of the Kittitas County Water Purveyors was called to order by Chairman Pat Clerf. Those in attendance were Rob Acheson, Fogarty Ditch; Jackie Brunson and Jeff Brunson, Bull Canal Co.; Jack Carpenter, Roger Satnik, Barbara Pettit Kittitas Reclamation District; David Chain, Natural Resource Conservation Service; Pat Clerf, Ellensburg Water Co.; Chris Coffin, Jane Creech, Betsy Dickes, Chris Hall Department of Ecology; Kevin Eslinger, Steve Rosbach, Denmark Irrigators; Ben George, Taneum Ditch Co.; Anna Lael, Kittitas County Conservation District; Pat Monk, Joint Board Fish Biologist; Carol Ready, Kittitas County Water Purveyors; Richard Siderius, Mid State Coop.; Pat Taylor, Olsen Ditch; Ray Owens and Larry Sharpe.

Item 1. Call to order

Pat Clerf, Chairman, declared the agenda for the September 28, 2000, meeting approved as presented. The minutes of the July 27, 2000 meeting were approved as corrected.

Item 2. Staff Activities Update

Carol Ready presented information on the Kittitas County Fair Display Booth explaining a rosette and blue ribbon were awarded to the display.

Carol explained KCWP brochures were available at the display booth and are available for anyone interested. Carol presented information on Nation Marine Fisheries workshops scheduled to present rules and assistance on the 4(d) ruling. Carol explained an attorney is preparing the KCWP by-laws and work is continuing on attaining non-profit status.

Carol presented information from Pete Cnessa, Fresno California on the Irrigation Management Practices manual explaining copies of the manual are available and requested input regarding a workshop on the information. Carol presented information on an Education Grant available through Environmental Protection Agency explaining Jane Creech, DOE, has offered assistance in writing the grant.

Item 3. YRBWEP & ESA: What’s the connection

Carol Ready introduced Tracy Yerxa, Water Resources Specialist, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Program. Tracy presented information on the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Legislation explaining she administers the Water Enhancement Program for the Bureau of Reclamation. Tracy explained one of the main focuses of the Yakima Enhancement Legislation is Irrigation District Water Conservation explaining legislation authorized water and land acquisition, system and tributary improvements, Yakama Indian Nation Programs, Pump Exchange Programs and Operational Changes. Tracy mentioned Bonneville Power Administration, Northwest Power Planning Council, Yakama Nation, Northwest Supplementation Hatchery and Tri County Water Resources Agency explaining they try and take a win win approach where funding is avialable to firm up irrigation supplies and funding to help fish. Tracy explained there are ESA and Clean Water Act Issues and the Bureau is currently working with DOE on addressing Clean Water Act Issues. Tracy presented information on estimates of historical anadromous fish runs in the Yakima River Basin compared to the recent size run with a 5 year average with runs much better this year. Tracy explained the Normative River Scientific Conceptual Foundation is an idea that came from a book "Return to the River". The concept is based on pre-white settlement biological processes that support large anadromous fish runs 200 years ago and now the biological processes have changed and do not support large anadromus fish runs explaining it will never return to pristine with the goal of returning the river to the biolocial processes, within the cultural constraints, to support the large anadromus fish runs. Dr. Jack Stanford is working on a 3 year habitat study on critical reaches of the Yakima River Basin looking at all aspects of the habitat including wells, water quality, water temperature, ground water/surface water interaction, food web and the health of the system. Tracy explained the study is helping to identify and prioritize the critical river reaches, provide recommendations on where to purchase water and land, provides scientific rational for restoring the habitat and provide protocol and baseline for long term monitoring.

Tracy explained the water leases and purchases in the Teanaway explaining landowners were given the opportunity to lease their water to the Bureau of Reclamation for a limited time in exchange for development and installation of on farm water conservation systems. Tracy explained in November, 1994 legislation authorized acquisition of land and water for the benefit of instream flows and anadromus fish for $10 million and has since been indexed up to $13 million and authorizes the use of a portion of the $67.5 million from the Basin Conservation Program. Tracy explained the program goals and objectives for the land and water acquisition program are to augment instream flows, improve essential salmon and steelhead habitat and try and recover ESA and threatened stock. Tracy explained her opinion is that you cannot expect a farmer to change their lifestyle, even if they want and are willing to, and lose money because the Federal Government has decided they want to save fish. Tracy further explained this concept was a huge struggle with the Bureau economists and took a long time to work through explaining water has now become a commodity.

Tracy explained the Cle Elum Supplementation Hatchery effects both the tributaries and main stem. The hatchery adults return to spawn in the natural setting unlike those of other hatcheries explaining the Cle Elum Supplementation Hatchery is experimental.

Tracy addressed a question regarding the status of Trendwest explaining they have purchased Walker water right from the Teanaway River and they want to use that water right in exchange for water out of the Cle Elum Reservoir. Tracy explained there are many unanswered questions and the Bureau of Reclamation has taken no formal action on the proposed Tendwest exchange.

Item 5. Yakima River Suspended Sediment TMDL, 1999 progress report

Betsy Dickes, Department of Ecology, presented various charts and graphs with preliminary interpretation of the data showing general patterns on the Upper Yakima River Basin total suspended solids and total maximum daily load. Betsy explained the data is from water quality samples taken every other week in 1999 during the months from April 20^th – October 18th. Betsy explained the data is being used to set the target for the TMDL and determine how DOE can get the river to meet the water quality standards for turbidity. Betsy explained the Cle Elum, Teanaway, Wilson, and Cherry and how they feed into the main stem explaining the data is broken into two seasons with the early season being April through June and the late season being July through October. Betsy explained the main stem violated the turbidity water quality criteria quite often in the early season with no violations in the late season. Chris Coffin, Department of Ecology, explained the testing was a statistical sampling and is used as a tool to set the TMDL. Betsy explained the data from Kittitas Reclamation District and Kittitas County Conservation District will be included in the process of setting the TMDL.

Chris Coffin discussed a presentation by SVID showing the phenomenal change in water quality in that area and the work they did to clean up the river. Chris explained it was a combined effort of Ecology, Irrigation Districts, Conservation District and growers. Chris explained most of the water quality are farm management issues and can and should be addressed locally.

Item 6. Biological Assessment of Yakima Project Operations and Maintenance

Pat Monk, Yakima Basin Joint Board of Irrigators, presented information on the Biological Assessment of the Yakima Project Operations and Maintenance. Pat explained the Biological Assessment was published in August, 2000 to assess the operation and maintenance of the Yakima Project basin wide including reservoirs and irrigation districts addressing listed species under the Endangered Species Act concentrating on the Steelhead and Bull Trout with the conclusion being there is the possibility of having an adverse impact. Pat explained Bull Trout are widely distributed in the Yakima River Basin in the reservoirs and upstream in the tributaries. The conclusion of possible adverse impact came from studies where potential for adverse impacts were identified. Pat continued explaining there are many things about the operation of the project that requires constant attention for irrigation and fish. Pat explained the conclusion of possible adverse affects does not mean that the current operation of the project is driving the fish to extinction. Pat further explained the river system cannot be managed without some effect on the animals that live in it. Pat presented charts on locations where Steelhead have been identified in Kittitas County tributaries.

Item 7. Other Topics

Carol Ready discussed information on Salmon Recovery explaining Jim Waldo has been appointed by Governor Locke to talk with interested parties to help resolve the impasse on Lead Entity and work with the Governor to get it in a budget package to be put forward to the Legislature. Carol continued explaining input was requested for possible funding ideas and $10 million for screening in the valley put on the list and requested input on other projects explaining October 4^th is the deadline for submission.

Item 8. Meeting Schedule

Chairman Pat Clerf announced the next meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. October 26, 2000.

Respectfully Submitted,