Watershed Management Plan - Mason County

Chapter
WRIA 16 – State of the Watershed 2
The above table displays the estimates of current flows in each WRIA 16
sub-basin. It is important to realize, however, that these flows are just
estimates of likely flows in any given year. Climate variations – whether
natural periodic variations such as El Niño or longer-term global climate
change – can have significant impact on the quantity and timing of water in
WRIA 16’s streams and aquifers.
In particular, climate change could have a profound impact on WRIA 16’s
future water resources. Over the next 20-40 years, increased global and
regional temperatures are expected to lead to reduced snowpack and
receding glaciers in the Olympic mountains. Since several WRIA 16
streams depend on snow and glacial meltwater, these changes would lead to
increased winter-time flows, as more precipitation will fall as rain rather
than snow. In addition, increased temperatures would lead to decreased
spring and summer-time flows, as snowpack and glaciers are reduced.
Furthermore, spring peak flows are predicted to occur two to six weeks
earlier than they do currently (University of Washington Climate Impacts
Group, 2004).
WATER ALLOCATION
According to Washington State law, the waters of the state collectively
belong to the public and cannot be owned by any one individual or group.
Instead, individuals or groups may be granted rights to them if the use
legally qualifies as beneficial. According to RCW 90.54.020, beneficial use is
defined as “Uses of water for domestic, stock watering, industrial,
commercial, agricultural, irrigation, hydroelectric power production, mining,
fish and wildlife maintenance and enhancement, recreational, and thermal
power production purposes, and preservation of environmental and
aesthetic values, and all other uses compatible with the enjoyment of the
public waters of the state.”
A water right is a legal authorization to use a predefined quantity of public
water for a designated, beneficial use. Any use of surface water (lakes,
ponds, rivers, streams, or springs) that began after the state water code was
enacted in 1917 requires a water right. Likewise, groundwater withdrawals
from 1945 onward, when the state groundwater code was enacted, require a
water right. The relative priority of rights is determined by the seniority of
the application dates. Entities that began using water before the two codes
were enacted, however, are “grandfathered” in and allowed to maintain
their rights; these users have been required to file “claims” with the
Department of Ecology to document the amount and location of their precode
water use.
Exceptions do exist, however, as some uses do not require water rights.
Groundwater use of up to 5,000 gallons per day is exempt for domestic
purposes, stock watering, industrial purposes and watering a lawn up to
one-half acre in size. Wells that are exempted by the water code are often
called “permit-exempt wells.” An estimated 2,460 people in WRIA 16
Water Rights:
Did you know?
The waters of the state
belong to the public and
cannot be owned by any one
individual or group.
Instead, individuals or
groups may apply and be
granted rights to use the
water for beneficial use.
The relative priority of
rights is determined by the
seniority of the application
dates
Over half of the total water
allocated in WRIA 16 is
in the Skokomish subbasin.
The South Shore
sub-basin, where many
water right applications are
also pending, has the highest
allocation as a percent of
water supply
Final Plan for County Adoption – May 11, 2006 page 13