WRIA 62 WMP 032305 - Washington State Department of Ecology

March, 2005 -7- 023-1289-003.3040
The Watershed Planning Act (Chapter 90.82.RCW) describes watershed planning as four separate
components; Water Quantity, Instream Flow, Water Quality, and Habitat. The scope of watershed
planning must include the Water Quantity component in order to qualify for grant funding under this
Chapter. The remaining three components are optional. The four planning elements are detailed
below:
• The water quantity component of the plan is mandatory and addresses water quantity by
assessing water supply and use in the watershed and developing strategies for future use
(RCW 90.82.070). Watershed plans must address quantity with strategies that would
supply adequate instream water for fish and out-of-stream water for future uses and/or
development.
• The water quality component addresses water quality in the watershed by synthesizing
current available data, and gathering metadata on current and historical water quality
programs and studies. The intent of this component is the development of watershedwide
assessment of water quality and local approaches for monitoring and Total
Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) implementation.
• The habitat component guides plan development to consider protection and enhancement
of fish habitat. This component, as per RCW 90.82.100, “must rely on existing laws,
rules, or ordinances created for the purpose of protecting, restoring, or enhancing fish
habitat, including the Shoreline Management Act (Chapter 90.58 RCW), the Growth
Management Act (Chapter 36.70A RCW), and the Forest Practices Act (Chapter 76.09
RCW)”.
• Instream Flows are defined as scientifically-based surface water flows set by
administrative rule to ensure adequate water for fish, other instream values and senior
out-of-stream beneficial uses. This planning component is designed to set minimum
instream flows for streams within the watershed. If the Planning Unit chooses not to
address instream flows, in the planning process, setting of instream flows could be taken
on by Ecology
2.1.2 General Obligations and Expectations
In general, Watershed Management Plans will be used to guide future water management in
participating WRIAs. Ecology and the Planning Unit expect to use the actions recommended in this
plan to aid water management decisions in WRIA 62.
When the Watershed Management Plan is approved by the Planning Unit and participating State
agencies, Ecology will be obligated to integrate Plan actions into strategies and will be required to
track its work obligations. The following sections from the 2003 update of Chapter 90.82 RCW
provide details and directives to agencies and organizations about Plan obligations and expectations:
WRIA 62 WMP 032305
• RCW 90.82.130(3)(c) “for an organization voluntarily accepting an obligation,
the organization must adopt policies, procedures, agreements, rules, or
ordinances to implement the Plan and should annually review implementation
needs with respect to budget and staffing.”
• RCW 90.82.130(4) “After a Plan is adopted…the department (of Ecology) shall
use the Plan as the framework for making future water resource decisions for the