RSSA site to buy or sell water
Ecology starts water exchange for Upper KittitasYakima Herald-Republic
E-mail
Print
Comments
More 'Local'
- Rag time again, and wastewater plant officials aren't happy
- Musicians in tune with those in need
- Prosser council to discuss renovating pool
- Check out the answers to this week's quiz
- Trails a tangible part of quality of life
- Forum takes hard look at keeping kids out of gangs
- How well did you read the YH-R last week?
ELLENSBURG, Wash. -- Upper Kittitas County residents will soon have a place to buy or sell water for new homes that will rely on a well.
The state Department of Ecology on Monday launched a Web site that will be a starting point for those transactions, known as a water exchange.
The exchange is in response to a moratorium the department imposed in July because of concern that new wells for homes are adversely affecting senior water rights and streamflows.
County officials, development interests and residents have criticized the moratorium for hurting the local economy.
Ecology Director Jay Manning asked his staff to work on the water exchange in light of concerns about the moratorium's economic impacts.
The exchange will provide sources of water to offset the effect new wells would have on senior users and streams.
A price has yet to be established from the first source to make water available, Suncadia Resort.
The sprawling 6,400-acre resort near Cle Elum is offering water from three rights it owns, a total of 352 acre-feet of water.
The rights are part of 476 acre-feet of water the resort developer purchased to cover the offsite development expected to occur from Suncadia.
An acre-foot of water is enough to cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot, or more than 325,000 gallons.
The water currently is being used as instream flow water.
Suncadia rights proposed for the exchange are not those intended to be used inside the resort boundaries.
Bob Barwin, an Ecology Department policy analyst in Yakima, estimated the Suncadia water could supply enough water for as many as 2,000 homes. The number is dependent on how much water would be proposed to be used inside a home and how much would be used for lawns and gardens.
Paul Eisenberg, Suncadia's senior vice president for development, said the resort has received inquiries from six people interested in purchasing water.
Eisenberg said Suncadia must first calculate its costs in purchasing water rights before placing a value on the water.
He said Suncadia spent what he described as millions of dollars on water, costs that also included fees and expenses associated with locating the water, making the purchase and obtaining court approval for transfer.
"We are in the process of trying to figure out what we have invested in it," he said Monday during a telephone interview.
Interested people won't be able to purchase water to mitigate their use for some time, likely at least a month or two. That's because details of how the exchange will be implemented are still being worked out.
But Eiserberg said the goal is to have some easy-to-follow steps that applicants can use.
"The intent is to solve the problem and do it efficiently," he said. "The question is how we get that written down on paper in a clear, understandable way," he said.
Barwin said once Suncadia establishes a price for the water it would make available, others may step forward to offer water.
"Suncadia is trying to figure out the cost of the water to them. I don't know what the costs will be," Barwin said. "The higher the cost, the more likely other sellers will step forward and consider selling water."
Water exchange FYI
The state Department of Ecology has started an Internet site for an upper Kittitas County water exchange to allow residents to purchase water to offset their exempt well use:
www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/cwp/wtrxchng.html.
Persons interested in obtaining access to water from Suncadia are asked to send an e-mail with contact information to:
krenfrow@suncadia.com or peisenberg@suncadia.com.
* David Lester can be reached at 509-577-7674 or dlester@yakimaherald.com.
Posting Guidelines - Updated Aug. 21 2009
Readers are encouraged to use these forums to discuss issues affecting the
Yakima Valley. Debate the ideas presented in stories and other comments, but
refrain from personal attacks and offensive remarks aimed at others; e.g.,
you may call an idea idiotic, but don't say the person is an idiot. The
Herald-Republic reserves the right to remove any comment for any reason.
Examples include material that is obscene, encourages illegal activity or
stereotypes based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and
other factors. Continued violation of these guidelines can lead to
suspension or revocation of your ability to post comments. If you believe a
comment is inappropriate, you can bring it to our attention by clicking the
"report violation" link by each comment. Guidelines revised Aug. 21, 2009.
Registered User?
