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Every year we prepare reports and analyses for the Legislature to support our work on developing long-term water supplies in Eastern Washington. These reports aid water managers in making decisions on how to achieve program goals meeting both instream and out-of-stream benefits throughout the Columbia River basin.
These reports include:
Annual water supply inventory reports discussing current water supply projects
Long-term water supply and demand forecasts to determine future water supply needs
Yakima River Basin integrated Plan legislative reports, and voluntary regional agreement reports
The Legislature tasked us to aggressively seek new water supplies for both instream and out-of-stream benefits in the greater Columbia River basin of Eastern Washington. In response, the Office of Columbia River was created. This office focuses on developing new water supplies through storage, conservation, and voluntary regional water management agreements. Reports covering these water development actions are due to the Legislature every year, every odd year, or in five-year increments.
Annual water supply inventory reports
The annual Columbia River Basin Annual Water Supply Inventory Report submitted to the Governor and Legislature summarizes the Office of Columbia River's work in implementing the requirements of Chapter 90.90 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).
Every five years, the Office of Columbia River prepares a 20-year water supply and demand forecast for the Columbia River basin. The Columbia River Instream Atlas is part of that analysis. It identifies where fish may be struggling and why and where Ecology might have the most success with instream flow investments.
After 18 months of work in the Walla Walla River Basin, the Walla Walla Strategic Plan Advisory Committee (SPAC) has moved forward the Walla Walla Water 2050 Strategic Plan. Our Office of Columbia River worked collaboratively with the Walla Walla Partnership, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon Department of Water Resources, local governments in both Washington and Oregon, environmental non-profits, irrigators, and basin stakeholders to develop the plan to address water needs over the next 30 years in the basin.
Voluntary regional agreement reports
A voluntary regional agreement (VRA) is a legal agreement between water users and Ecology “for the purpose of providing new water for out-of-stream use, streamlining the application process, and protecting instream flow” (Chapter 90.90.030 RCW). These interim and final legislative reports updated the Legislature on the status of the VRA program.
