WRIA 30 - Klickitat County Home

Klickitat River Basin (WRIA 30)Watershed Management Plan1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUNDKlickitat River BasinWatershed Management PlanWater Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 30 consists of the Klickitat River basin and thewatershed area draining into the Columbia River between the mouth of the Klickitat River andthe John Day Dam in Washington State. Roughly the southern half of the WRIA is in KlickitatCounty and the northern half is in Yakima County.A variety of sometimes competing needs must be met by surface and ground waters in WRIA 30.While there is currently a hiatus in human population growth, water resources and the attendantsupply systems need to be maintained and managed in order to meet current demand as well asfuture demand that will accompany the resumption of population and economic growth.Agricultural producers require access to irrigation and stock water. Fish, including species thatare listed under the federal Endangered Species Act and other aquatic species, require adequatewater in streams and rivers. Fishers, boaters, hydroelectric facilities, and others also requirewater in rivers and streams. Wise and balanced management of water resources is needed.This document is the Watershed Management Plan for WRIA 30 wherein key water resourcesissues are identified and the agreed-upon strategies to address those issues are presented. Thescope of this Watershed Management Plan addresses matters pertaining to water quantity, waterquality, and fish habitat within that portion of WRIA 30 that is outside of the Yakama IndianReservation closed lands.1.1 LEGAL FRAMEWORKThis Watershed Management Plan was developed and approved in accordance with Chapter90.82 Revised Code of Washington (Chapter 90.82 RCW). The planning effort was initiated in1999 with the concurrence of Klickitat County, Yakima County, City of Goldendale, and PublicUtility District No. 1 of Klickitat County (KPUD). While supportive of watershed planning forWRIA 30, Yakima County elected not to participate in the process and opted out with theconcurrence of the other Initiating Governments in accordance with the provisions of the statute.The Yakama Nation was invited to participate in the planning effort as an initiating government,but did not affirmatively accept the invitation. Therefore, Klickitat County, City of Goldendaleand KPUD comprise the “Initiating Governments” tasked under the statute with organizing theplanning effort. The Initiating Governments designated Klickitat County to serve as the leadagency to receive grant funding and coordinate the planning effort. As provided in Chapter90.82.060(6) RCW, the Initiating Governments determined the scope of the planning effort,composition of a Planning Unit that is representative of a wide range of water resource interests,and a planning process.The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) participated in the planning process. Asprovided in Chapter 90.82.130(6) RCW, this Watershed Management Plan satisfies Ecology’swatershed planning authority with respect to the components of the plan included under theIntroduction 1 May 3, 2005