March, 2005 -70- 023-1289-003.3040 need to be updated with respect to the current state <strong>of</strong> stream bank erosion, when considering land clearing activities that may exacerbate river bank erosion and river bank stabilization strategies. As with Issue H-3a above, it will important for the Implementing Body to coordinate with entities completing riverbank erosion and stabilization studies in <strong>WRIA</strong> <strong>62</strong> to develop and implement the Plan actions and to ensure that the actions are not duplicative <strong>of</strong> other past, on-going and planned activities in <strong>WRIA</strong> <strong>62</strong>. <strong>WRIA</strong> <strong>62</strong> <strong>WMP</strong> <strong>032305</strong>
March, 2005 -71- 023-1289-003.3040 4.4 Background and Rationale for Water Rights Issues The following sections provide background information for the water rights issues. 4.4.1 WR-1 Background and Rationale Problem <strong>State</strong>ment: There is currently limited opportunity for the local community to provide recommendations to the <strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Ecology</strong> in the processing <strong>of</strong> water rights transfers, changes, applications and relinquishments. Since many <strong>of</strong> the tributaries in <strong>WRIA</strong> <strong>62</strong> are subject to Surface Water Source Limitations (SWSLs) (see Section 4.1.1), the Planning Unit members discussed options to promote water conservation and to encourage water rights holders to relinquish, sell or bank their water rights in order to free-up additional water. The Planning Unit acknowledged that the “use-it or lose-it” time frame (Chapter 90.14 RCW) for water rights, particularly irrigation water rights, does not encourage water conservation since if the water right is not put to beneficial use for a five year time span, the water right becomes invalid. Therefore the water right holder may use the water even though the water is not essential for the designated purpose <strong>of</strong> use in order to maintain the validity <strong>of</strong> the right. Water rights in <strong>Washington</strong> are maintained through the beneficial use <strong>of</strong> water allotted through that water right. Under this system, when a water right is not “used” for a period <strong>of</strong> time, the right to that water can be lost. This system was developed in order to ensure that water resources are put to the highest beneficial use possible, to provide maximum benefit to <strong>Washington</strong>’s citizens. Therefore, if a water right holder is not using water allotted to him, and someone else needs the water, the water right holder’s right to the water that he is not using may be relinquished in order to make it available for another beneficial use. The water right relinquishment, or “use it or lose it” rule is recorded in Chapter 90.14 RCW, which states, “any person hereafter entitled to divert or withdraw waters <strong>of</strong> the <strong>State</strong> through an appropriation…who abandons or voluntarily fails, without sufficient cause, to beneficially use all or any part <strong>of</strong> said right for a period <strong>of</strong> five successive years shall relinquish such right or portion there<strong>of</strong>, and such right shall revert back to the <strong>State</strong>.” The definition <strong>of</strong> beneficial uses <strong>of</strong> water is recorded in RCW 90.54.020. The statute allows the following beneficial uses <strong>of</strong> water: 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 <strong>of</strong> environmental and aesthetic values, and all other uses compatible with the enjoyment <strong>of</strong> the public waters <strong>of</strong> the state. The water allocation versus water use assessment for <strong>WRIA</strong> <strong>62</strong> (Golder, 2005) indicates that about 104,000 AF/yr <strong>of</strong> water in <strong>WRIA</strong> <strong>62</strong> is allocated to agricultural irrigation but only about 1,500 AF/yr is currently being used. Strategy WR1-2 is designed to consider legislative action to encourage owners <strong>of</strong> inactive irrigation rights to sell, bank, lease or relinquish their water rights so that the water can be used beneficially. At present, there is no incentive for holders <strong>of</strong> inactive irrigation rights to do so. The Watershed Planning Unit identified pros and cons associated with increasing the “use-it or lose-it” time frame from five to twenty years. <strong>WRIA</strong> <strong>62</strong> <strong>WMP</strong> <strong>032305</strong>
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REPORT PREPARED FOR THE WRIA 62 Wat
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March, 2005 TABLE 3-1 QUANT2b-1 QUA
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TABLES (Not included within the tex
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APPENDICES
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