In many parts of western Washington, population growth and development is spreading into once-rural areas, putting new pressures on water supplies and potentially impacting the water needed by fish in nearby streams. Since 2018, the Washington Department of Ecology and local governments have been working under state law to improve streamflows, while still allowing new construction and new domestic wells to be installed.
In 10 of the 15 watersheds affected by the 2018 Streamflow Restoration Act, local planning groups came up with strategies to offset the impacts of growth and new wells. Now, Ecology is opening rulemaking for the remaining five watersheds.
Ecology is opening the five instream flow rules with the goal of incorporate recommendations from Watershed Restoration Plans and statutory requirements in accordance with state law.
The rulemaking marks the culmination of six years of work and collaboration to help develop watershed restoration plans that identify restoration projects to offset impacts to ground water from permit-exempt wells. The rulemaking must be within two years, as required by state law. With this limited timeframe, Ecology is not exploring amending instream flow rules or basin closure limits with this rulemaking.
More information is available on Ecology's rulemaking webpage.