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July 31, 2015 CapitalPress.com 5 Drought Irrigation ends in some Yakima tributaries By DAN WHEAT Capital Press UNION GAP, Wash. — Irrigation water to orchards DQGKD\¿HOGVLQWZR<DNLPD River tributaries has been cut RIIE\WKHVWDWH'HSDUWPHQWRI (FRORJ\EHFDXVHRIORZÀRZ caused by drought. )ORZV LQ &RZLFKH &UHHN ZHVW RI <DNLPD DQG WKH 7HDQDZD\ 5LYHU QHDU &OH (OXPDUHVRGLUHWKDWLU- ULJDWRUVZLWKVRPHRIHDUOLHVW pre-statehood water rights, PXVW VWRS ZDWHULQJ RUFKDUGV KD\DQGDOIDOIDFURSVRQVRPH DFUHV'2(DQQRXQFHG “These are tributaries that have no reservoirs. They are VWULFWO\ IHG E\ VQRZSDFN RU aUuifer recharge,” said Joye 5HG¿HOG:LOGHU D '2( VSRNHVZRPDQLQ8QLRQ*DS ,QVXI¿FLHQW ZLQWHU VQRZ UHFRUGEUHDNLQJ KHDW LQ -XQH DQG QR PHDVXUDEOH SUHFLSL- WDWLRQIRUGD\VDVEURXJKW WKH&RZLFKHDQG7HDQDZD\WR KLVWRULFORZVIRUWKLVWLPHRI \HDU5HG¿HOG:LOGHUVDLG 7KH 7HDQDZD\ QHDU &OH (OXPZDVDWFXELFIHHWSHU VHFRQG RQ -XO\ FRPSDUHG ZLWKWKHSULRUORZRIFX- bic feet per second for that GDWH7KH&RZLFKHZDVDW cubic feet per second and had EHHQ XQGHU FXELF IHHW SHU VHFRQG HDUOLHU LQ WKH PRQWK DOE said. ³,W¶V XQOLNH DQ\WKLQJ we’ve seen before,” said Stan ,VOH\ (FRORJ\¶V FRXUWDS- SRLQWHGVWUHDPSDWUROOHULQWKH Teanaway River Basin. )RUWKH¿UVWWLPHWKLV\HDU D VWUHDP SDWUROOHU KDV EHHQ DSSRLQWHGRQ&RZLFKH&UHHN ZKHUH WUDGLWLRQDOO\ ZDWHU XV- HUV KDYH SROLFHG WKHPVHOYHV A neighbor with a senior right ZRXOG FDOO XSVWUHDP QHLJK- ERUVZLWKMXQLRUULJKWVDVNLQJ WKHPWRVWRSXVLQJZDWHU 6LPLODU FXUWDLOPHQWV RF- FXUUHGLQWKHPLGVEXW ODWHULQWKH\HDUDQGLQDQHUD ZKHQ ZDWHU ZRUNV ZHUH IDU OHVVHI¿FLHQWDQGPRUHZDWHU ZDVGLYHUWHGWKDQQRZ,VOH\ said. ³(YHQ ZLWK PRGHUQ HI¿- ciencies, there’s not enough ZDWHU WR PHHW WKHVH VHQLRU ZDWHU ULJKW KROGHUV RU VXS- SRUWWKHVWUHDPVIRU¿VK´KH said. &XUWDLOHG ZDWHU ULJKWV GDWH EDFN WR DQG ZLWK- RXWPDMRUUDLQWKHUHVWRIWKH water rights on the Teanaway DQG &RZLFKH GDWLQJ WR PD\ EH VKXW RII VRRQ 5HG¿HOG:LOGHU VDLG 7KDW¶V SUREDEO\ XQSUHFHGHQWHG IRU WKLVWLPHRI\HDUVKHVDLG 2UFKDUGVORVLQJZDWHUWKLV WLPH RI \HDU OLNHO\ ZRXOG ORVH WKHLU FURSV 7KH &R- wiche area is heavy in Red 'HOLFLRXVWKDWLVQ¶WKDUYHVWHG XQWLO2FWREHU & -DPHV /XVW D <DNLPD DWWRUQH\ ZLWK FDWWOH DQG KD\ ¿HOGV LQ WKH &RZLFKH DUHD Courtesy of Washington Department of Ecology The Teanaway River near Cle Elum, Wash., on July 16 shows very little water. VDLG KLV IDPLO\ SXW LWV ZDWHU LWV ZDWHU IURP WKH <DNLPD IDUKHVDLG$FXWEDFNZRXOG rights into a trust two years Tieton Irrigation District. PHDQOLJKWHURUQRFXWWLQJRQ DJRLQH[FKDQJHIURPJHWWLQJ 7KDW¶V ZRUNHG RXW ZHOO VR his third-cutting, he said. Washington ecology warns westside 3URJUDPDLPVWRUHWDLQÀRRGLUULJDWLRQ LV$XJWKURXJK6HSW 1HHOH\0LOOHUVHQLRUZDWHU irrigators about pending shut off UHVRXUFH SODQQHU ZLWK WKH:D- By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press Chehalis River’s low flow triggers alert By DON JENKINS Capital Press The Washington Depart- PHQW RI (FRORJ\ KDV ZDUQHG LUULJDWRUVLQWZRVRXWKZHVW Washington counties that WKHLU ZDWHU ULJKWV OLNHO\ ZLOO EHVXVSHQGHGEHFDXVHRIORZ ÀRZV LQ WKH &KHKDOLV 5LYHU and tributaries. '2( PDLOHG OHWWHUV -XO\ WR JURZHUV LQ /HZLV DQG Grays Harbor counties who obtained water rights to the ULYHUDIWHU7KDW\HDUWKH VWDWHVHWPLQLPXPÀRZVLQWKH ULYHU WR SURWHFW ¿VK $QRWK- HU ZDWHU ULJKW KROGHUV DORQJWKH&KHKDOLV5LYHUKDYH ROGHU ULJKWV DQG DUH H[HPSW IURPWKHFXWRII 7KH OHWWHUV VWDWH WKDW '2( ZLOOOLNHO\LPSRVHUHVWULFWLRQV in the “near future.” DOE VSRNHVPDQ &KDVH *DOODJKHU VDLG-XO\WKDWFXWRIIQRWLF- es are being prepared for each ODQGRZQHU 7KH GHSDUWPHQW KDVQRWGHWHUPLQHGZKHQWKH\ ZLOOEHVHQWKHVDLG ,Q '2( LVVXHG FXW RII QRWLFHV WR &KHKDOLV River irrigators because of ORZÀRZVEXWWKDWZDVQ¶WXQ- WLO$XJXVW /HZLV&RXQW\IDUPHU'DYH )HQQZKRKDVDSUHZD- WHU ULJKW VDLG WKH ULYHU OHYHO 08' /$.( ,'$+2 ² A new USDA-funded water FRQVHUYDWLRQ SURJUDP UXQV FRQWUDU\ WR FRQYHQWLRQDO ZLV- GRPUHZDUGLQJSURGXFHUVZKR UHWDLQ ÀRRGLUULJDWLRQ V\VWHPV UDWKHU WKDQ LQVWDOOLQJ PRGHUQ HI¿FLHQWSLYRWV The Idaho Water Resource %RDUG²WKHOHDGDSSOLFDQWRQ WKHJUDQW²DQGLWVSDUWQHUVDLP WR SUHVHUYH LQFLGHQWDO DTXLIHU UHFKDUJHWKURXJKVHHSDJHIURP ÀRRGLUULJDWLRQZKLFKLVUDSLG- O\EHLQJSKDVHGRXWLQIDYRURI HI¿FLHQWVSULQNOHUV Don Jenkins/Capital Press 2WKHU SDUWQHUV LQFOXGLQJ :DWHUVKRRWVRYHUD¿HOG-XO\QHDU&KHKDOLVLQVRXWKZHVW 'XFNV8QOLPLWHGDQGWKH,GDKR Washington. Irrigators with rights obtained after 1976 to draw from 'HSDUWPHQWRI)LVKDQG*DPH the Chehalis River are likely to be shut off soon because of low VD\ ÀRRG LUULJDWLRQ SURYLGHV ULYHUÀRZV FULWLFDOKDELWDWIRUZDWHUIRZOLQ KLVWRULFÀRRGSODLQV is a concern for even growers The river Thursday at one 86'$¶V 1DWXUDO 5HVRXUF- with senior rights. ORFDWLRQ WUDFNHG E\ WKH 86 HV &RQVHUYDWLRQ 6HUYLFH “I’ve never seen the river *HRORJLFDO 6XUYH\ ZDV ÀRZ- DZDUGHG WKH DSSOLFDQWV WKLV ORZ SHULRG´ VDLG )HQQ LQJDWFXELFIHHWSHUVHF- PLOOLRQ LQ 5HJLRQDO &RQVHU- ZKR¶V IDUPHG LQ WKH DUHD IRU RQG7KHDFFHSWDEOHPLQLPXP \HDUV ÀRZIRUWKHODVWKDOIRI-XO\LV Enough rain to drive the FXELFIHHWSHUVHFRQG ULYHUXSLVWKHRQO\WKLQJWKDW Shutting off junior water FDQVWRSRUOLIWWKHUHVWULFWLRQV ULJKW KROGHUV ZLOO OHDYH LQ WKH 7KH ULYHU GURSSHG VKDUSO\ ULYHUDFUHIHHWRUFXELFIHHW LQ PLG0D\ DQG VLQFH WKHQ per second, according to DOE. KDVEHHQEHORZWKHPLQLPXP /HZLV&RXQW\)DUP%XUHDX ÀRZVVHWLQ8QWLOWKHQ 3UHVLGHQW 5RQ$YHULOO VDLG LW¶V the river hadn’t been seen by GLI¿FXOW WR DVVHVV KRZ PXFK '2( DV D SRWHQWLDO SUREOHP GDPDJHWKHFXWRIIZLOOGRWRWKH 7KHDUHDZDVQRWLQFOXGHGLQ FRXQW\¶VDJULFXOWXUDOLQGXVWU\ GURXJKW GHFODUDWLRQV LVVXHG ³$ORWRIIRONVGRQ¶WKDYH E\ *RY -D\ ,QVOHH LQ PLG ZDWHU ULJKWV RQ WKH &KHKD- 0DUFK DQG PLG$SULO ,QVOHH OLV 5LYHU´ KH VDLG ³,Q PRVW GHFODUHG D VWDWHZLGH GURXJKW \HDUV LW UDLQV VR PXFK LW LQPLG0D\ GRHVQ¶WPDNHDQ\GLIIHUHQFH´ Courtesy of Bob Anderl White-faced ibis feed in Eastern Idaho. A new program, led by the Idaho Water Resource Board, aims to keep farm DFUHVLQÀRRGLUULJDWLRQIRUWKH EHQH¿WRIZDWHUIRZOVXFKDV the white-faced ibis. YDWLRQ 3DUWQHUVKLS 3URJUDP funds for water-conservation projects during the next two \HDUV5RXJKO\DWKLUGRIWKH IXQGVDUHDYDLODEOHWRLQFUHDVH WKH QRUPDO SHUFHQW (QYL- URQPHQWDO 4XDOLW\ ,QFHQWLYHV 3URJUDP PDWFK WR FRYHU percent of a producer’s costs RI LPSURYLQJ ÀRRGLUULJDWLRQ V\VWHPV 7KH VLJQXS SHULRG ter Resource Board, said the DSSOLFDQWV LQWHQG WR DSSO\ IRU DQDGGLWLRQDOJUDQWWRNHHSWKH SURJUDPUXQQLQJIRUIRXU\HDUV ³$ ORW RI WLPHV 15&6 RI- fers incentives to put in pipes DQG VSULQNOHUV EXW WKHUH KDY- HQ¶WEHHQLQFHQWLYHVWRPDLQWDLQ WKDWPRUHWUDGLWLRQDOÀRRGLUUL- JDWLRQV\VWHP´0LOOHUVDLG 6DO 3DOD]]ROR )LVK DQG *DPH¶V SULYDWH ODQGV FRRUGL- QDWRUVDLGWKHSURJUDPVKRXOG EHQH¿W LPSRUWDQW JDPH ELUGV VXFK DV GXFNV DQG JHHVH DQG species of concern, such as the ZKLWHIDFHGLELVDQG)UDQNOLQ¶V JXOO 3DOD]]ROR VDLG WKH SURM- HFW¶VJRDOLVWRSURWHFWÀRRGLUUL- JDWLRQRQDFUHV+HVDLG DERXWIDUPVFRPSULVLQJ DFUHV VXUURXQGLQJ 0XG/DNHDQG0DUNHW/DNHLQ (DVWHUQ ,GDKR DQG &DPDV 1D- WLRQDO:LOGOLIH5HIXJHLQ+DP- HUDUHHOLJLEOHIRUWKHSURJUDP ,GDKRLUULJDWRUV2.¶GIRU:DWHU%RDUGORDQV By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press BOISE, Idaho — The Ida- ho Water Resource Board has DSSURYHG DERXW PLOOLRQ LQ ORZLQWHUHVW ORDQV WRZDUG VHS- DUDWHSURMHFWVWRKHOSVRXWKHDVW Idaho irrigators address press- LQJQHHGVZLWKWKHLUFDQDOV\V- WHPV 'XULQJLWVUHFHQW-XO\PHHW- LQJWKHERDUGDSSURYHGD PLOOLRQ ORDQ DW SHUFHQW LQ- WHUHVWIRUWKH/DVW&KDQFH&D- QDO &R LQ *UDFH WR UHSODFH D IRRWWDOO ZRRGHQ GLYHUVLRQ GDP RQ WKH %HDU 5LYHU ZLWK D concrete structure. 7KH FRPSDQ\ VHUYHV VKDUHKROGHUV ZKR LUULJDWH DFUHVRIIDUPODQG :RUNRQWKHGDPZLOOFRP- PHQFHWKLVIDOOXWLOL]LQJDFRI- IHUGDPGXULQJFRQVWUXFWLRQ “Their existing diversion VWUXFWXUHRQWKH%HDULVDQROG WLPEHU VWUXFWXUH WKDW LV PRVW GH¿QLWHO\RQLWVODVWOHJV´VDLG %ULDQ 3DWWRQ SODQQLQJ EXUHDX chief with the Idaho Depart- PHQW RI :DWHU 5HVRXUFHV ³, GRXEWWKDWVWUXFWXUHZRXOGODVW another winter.” Patton said the structure DOVR GLYHUWV ZDWHU WR D VPDOO K\GURSRZHU SODQW RZQHG E\ 3DFL¿&RUS +H VDLG WKH FDQDO FRPSDQ\ DQG 3DFL¿&RUS DUH negotiating how to divide the project’s cost. 7KH ERDUG DOVR DSSURYHG D PLOOLRQORDQDWSHUFHQW interest for St. John’s Irrigating &RPSDQ\ ORFDWHG QHDU 0DODG &LW\ WR UHSODFH D PLOH VHF- WLRQRIRSHQFDQDOZLWKDSUHV- VXUL]HGSLSHOLQH7KHORDQZLOO SURYLGH PDWFKLQJ IXQGV IRU D PLOOLRQJUDQWIURPWKH86 %XUHDXRI5HFODPDWLRQ 6W-RKQ¶VVHUYHVDFUHV RIIDUPODQGLQ2QHLGD&RXQW\ 5RQ %ODLVGHOO SUHVLGHQW over the St. John’s Irrigation %RDUG DQG VWRFNKROGHUV VDLG WKHLPSURYHPHQWVKRXOGUHGXFH ORVVHV IURP D OHDN\ VWUHWFK RI FDQDO E\ DW OHDVW SHUFHQW according to engineering esti- PDWHV %ODLVGHOO VDLG WKH SURMHFW ZDV ¿UVW VXJJHVWHG LQ WKH ODWH V$ IHDVLELOLW\ VWXG\ ZDV conducted, and the board voted on piping the stretch, but the YRWH IDLOHG EHFDXVH PHPEHUV ZHUH VWLOO SD\LQJ RII WKH FRQVWUXFWLRQRI'DQLHO¶V5HVHU- voir, and they didn’t have suf- ¿FLHQW JUDQW IXQGLQJ %ODLVGHOO said. During the past two seasons, %ODLVGHOO VDLG VWRFNKROGHUV KDYHUHFHLYHGDERXWSHUFHQW RIWKHLUIXOOZDWHUDOORFDWLRQV ³,W¶V EHHQ WRXJK IRU SHRSOH ZKR GRQ¶W KDYH ZHOOV WR XVH´ he said. +H VDLG FRQVWUXFWLRQ FRXOG EHJLQ DV HDUO\ DV 6HSWHPEHU ³:H¶YH JRW D ORW WR GR EH- IRUHZHFDQJHWWRWKHOD\LQJRI pipe,” he said. 31-4/#4x ROP-31-4-1/#4x