Yakima Herald-Republic Editorial Board
This editorial appears in the Yakima Herald-Republic on April 12, 2009.
Study stymies new storage, but need for water remains
It looks like those involved in the search for water enhancement in the Yakima River Basin have finally agreed on one thing: We don't need another endless cycle of studies.
"Since the 1980s there's been no end to this stuff," said Jerry Kelso, area manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Yakima. "There needs to be an end."
We couldn't agree more.
Kelso's pronouncement came a week ago after the bureau ended a five-year, $18 million study that concluded none of the suggested new water storage projects -- from a tiny reservoir off the Yakima River to the behemoth Black Rock reservoir east of Yakima -- are worth pursuing.
However, that doesn't mean the Yakima River Basin has an adequate water supply to meet the needs of irrigators, cities and migrating fish -- now or into the future. Far from it. Water experts predict worsening conditions due to climate changes will lead to increased threats of drought. Within the next 50 years, the region could be experiencing eight drought years out of every 10.
Right now, California is facing critical water shortages with farmers taking more than 1 million acres out of production. For the Yakima Valley, that type of flexibility is not possible. Tree fruits dominate our ag crops. When a tree dies in a drought, a return to production takes years, not to mention vast new expenditures. The result would be economic chaos.
Though the bureau has said the options for new storage are not worth pursuing, that also doesn't mean the debate has ended, especially with respect to Black Rock. The bureau essentially gave the proposed 1.6 million-acre-foot reservoir a stay of execution. The controversial project has at least as many pluses going for it as it does minuses.
Critics say its ballooning estimated cost of construction, now projected at $4 billion-plus, is far too much and that its return on each dollar invested of 13 cents is way too low. Then there's the ticking time bomb of predicted seepage, which could speed pollutants to the Columbia River from the Hanford nuclear reservation to the east.
Proponents counter by saying the bureau's analysis of costs is flawed and does not calculate the value of such amenities as recreation. They also say Black Rock is the only proposal on the table that satisfies the three-pronged mandate handed down by Congress when it authorized studies for the Yakima basin: water for fish, water for people and water for irrigators.
The project would draw water from the Columbia River when it has excess water, pump it uphill and store it behind a 600 foot-high dam about 30 miles east of Yakima. That would allow greater flows in the Yakima River by providing irrigation water for area crops.
But added storage is only one aspect of a realistic solution. Better water conservation and fish habitat, along with improved fish passage at dams in the upper reaches of the Yakima River, must also be in play.
Bringing all of these elements together will be the goal of one last study by the state Department of Ecology. The department is attempting to determine the best alternative to meet the most needs.
Then comes the crucial effort to get all of the competing interests in the basin -- from the Yakama Nation to junior water rights holders within the Roza Irrigation District -- at the same table with the sole purpose of getting a thumbs up on a solution.
That's a tall order, but it is not out of reach.
Certainly those leading the Yakima Basin Storage Alliance have done the right thing at this time by agreeing to step back after years of guiding the discussion. The alliance is looking to the elected commissioners from the three-county basin to shoulder that new leadership role. This move should entice the Yakama Nation to join in the discussion -- which is critical if any legislation is to eventually be presented to Congress for funding.
We suggest taking one additional step. Why not invite Gov. Chris Gregoire and get her involved in a leadership role? The governor once oversaw the Department of Ecology and served as the state's attorney general as well. You couldn't ask for better qualifications, and they will be needed to get agreement from such a diverse group of water users, not to mention environmentalists.
Doing nothing is not an option. The future of the Yakima Valley demands action. And the sooner the better.
* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Bob Crider, Barbara Serrano, Spencer Hatton and Karen Troianello.
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