Improving streamflows

Watershed planning under the Streamflow Restoration Act (RCW 90.94) continues for Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIA) 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15. We collaborated with local partners to develop watershed plans under the Streamflow Restoration Act. We also assess the implementation of completed plans.

We help improve streamflows throughout the state through competitive grants and watershed planning.
We fund projects that enhance streamflows and aquatic resources through our statewide competitive grants.

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Streamflow Restoration Act

In January 2018, the Legislature passed the Streamflow Restoration Act (RCW 90.94) to help improve streamflows. The law directed 15 planning groups to develop watershed plans that offset impacts from new domestic permit-exempt wells and achieve a net ecological benefit. The Legislature appropriated $300 million over 15 years to support projects that improve streamflows.

The law was in response to the Hirst decision, a 2016 Washington State Supreme Court decision that limited a landowner’s ability to get a building permit for a new home when the proposed source of water was a permit-exempt well.

To continue implementation of Streamflow Restoration (90.94 RCW) we have published Final Net Ecological Benefit (NEB) guidance to use when evaluating watershed plans that are completed under the law.

Final guidance

There were several opportunities for the public to provide comments on the development of the Final Net Ecological Benefit (NEB) guidance. We appreciate the feedback that we received and have considered that information as we finalized documents.

Among those opportunities were six statewide public workshops in October 2018 to gather input. We also collected feedback through our website to develop the draft final guidance. Additionally, we received technical advice from researchers at Washington State University and federal resource management agencies.

Interim guidance (June 2018-July 2019)

In June 2018, we issued interim guidance for determining NEB to assist watershed planning groups on expedited planning tracks and the “Foster” mitigation pilot projects (see below). One planning group is continuing to work under the interim guidance per an agreement made with us.

Read the Interim Guidance for Determining Net Ecological Benefit - June 18, 2018

If you have questions about the NEB guidance, please contact Annie Sawabini at 360-407-6878 or Annie.Sawabini@ecy.wa.gov.

To address impacts of the 2015 Foster decision, the law established the Joint Legislative Task Force on Water Resource Mitigation and authorized us to issue permit decisions for up to five water mitigation pilot projects.

We have met with all five pilot project applicants, confirmed their participation, and received conceptual mitigation plans. We will present the plans to the task force and continue to work closely with the project proponents.

Contact information

Bennett Weinstein
WRProjects@ecy.wa.gov
360-688-8928

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Improving streamflows

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Streamflow Restoration Act

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