Tribes Say State’s Water Plan Ignores Environmental Needs

By Andrew Sirocchi, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.

Jan. 6–The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation are questioning the motivation for the state’s groundbreaking water legislation and have dubbed it an unworkable policy that would take more water from the Columbia River while ignoring environmental needs.

In a letter directed to Ecology Director Jay Manning, Yakama Tribal Council Chairwoman Lavina Washines criticized the Columbia River Management Program for being too vague and failing to establish a workable framework for issuing new water rights.

The plan, approved by the Legislature last spring, relies on conservation and storage measures to meet the state’s future water needs. It requires water users to ensure the Columbia and Snake rivers remain at positive flow levels during critical summer months, but Washines wrote that the tribes dispute whether the policy will lead to realistic results.

“The state’s proposal fails to protect the fish runs of the Columbia River and instead subjects them to unacceptable risk,” Washines wrote. “The state’s goal appears to be to justify issuing more permits while ignoring its duties to protect and restore fish runs.”

Washines’ letter was submitted as part of comments on an application by the Columbia Snake River Irrigators Association to become the regional representative for water users seeking new water rights.

Tribal representatives could not be reached for comment Friday.

Under the Columbia River Management Program, groups of water users can apply for “Voluntary Regional Agreements” and in turn consult with Ecology for new water rights issued within a specific geographic area.

Darryl Olson, president of the CSRIA, said Washines’ criticisms don’t make sense in light of the state’s goals for the Columbia River Management Program. New water permits have been stalled for years as conservation groups and applicants for new water rights have argued over how and when to take water from the Columbia River.

When the legislation was passed in 2006, the Columbia River Water Management Program was billed as a groundbreaking achievement that provided a solution to a divisive water issue and finally brought together groups that some thought would never reach agreement.

Olson said Washines’ comments are counter to those goals and achievements.

“It’s totally empty rhetoric,” he said. “There’s no way any rational entity could reach that conclusion in light of what the VRA says. It would be to their benefit to tone down the rhetoric and start working with people.”

Olson also said the tribes had plenty of opportunities to comment on the Columbia River Management Program but neglected to bring up their issues before the legislation was passed.

The tribes’ statements may be indicative of relationship problems yet to come.

Joye Redfield-Wilder, spokeswoman for the Department of Ecology, said the program still is fluid and many changes are likely to come before water management policies firm up. Ecology still has to do an environmental impact statement to evaluate the management program.

Meanwhile, Derek Sandison, Ecology’s regional director, said the department will not issue any comments on the tribes’ statement until after the negotiations with the CSRIA are complete.

“We’re still reviewing the information received during consultation and we’ll enter into negotiations with CSRIA before we go out to public comment,” Sandison said.

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Copyright (c) 2007, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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