State of Washington Water Research Center Contributes to the debates - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

State of Washington Water Research Center Contributes to the debates over the Yakima Basin IWRM plan

Jonathan Yoder Director, State of Washington Water Research Center 28 Februrary 2017

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Yakima Basin

◮ Irrigation-dependent

agricultural economy.

◮ Historically large but struggling

salmonid runs.

◮ Municipal growth and water

insecurity.

◮ Summer irrigation water

provided by snowpack and 5 existing reservoirs.

◮ Snowpack is projected to

diminish due to climate change.

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Yakima Basin Integrated Plan

The Yakima Basin Integrated Plan (IP) arose out of decades of conflict among irrigators, tribes, environmentalists.

◮ 6 water storage projects. ◮ 6 Fish passage projects. ◮ Water market development. ◮ Water conservation. ◮ Instream flow augmentation. ◮ Other operations changes. ◮ $4B estimated costs.

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Prior Research on the IP

◮ Vast amount of research on

many aspects of the IP developing over decades

◮ 2012 Benefit-Cost analysis

◮ Examined IP versus no IP ◮ Findings: The IP passes a

BC test.

◮ Did not assess individuals

IP projects.

U.S. Department of the Interior State of Washington Bureau of Reclamation Department of Ecology Pacific Northwest Region Office of Columbia River October 2012 Columbia-Cascades Area Office

Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan

Four Accounts Analysis of the Integrated Plan

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Contract No. 08CA10677A ID/IQ Prepared by ECONorthwest Natural Resources Economics ESA

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WRC study

◮ Legislative charge to WRC

◮ 2013 Capital Budget charged the State of Washington Water

Research Center (WRC) to do a(nother) BC analyis of the IP.

◮ This analysis was to assess individual projects of the IP. ◮ Delivered Dec. 2014.

Findings

◮ All fish passage projects pass a BC test. ◮ No water storage projects pass a BC test as part of full IP. ◮ IP as a whole does not pass a BC test. ◮ The WRC made no policy recommendations. Yoder YBIP

Consequences of the Report

◮ This was first research on the IP that had not been funded by

developers and/or proponents of the IP.

◮ the WRC report has been widely cited by multiple stakeholder

groups in the press, legislative testimony, and other venues.

◮ In short; the WRC study provided a platform for a broad set

• f stakeholders to enter the discussion over the IP, and public

discourse is active today.

◮ WRC study follow up:

◮ Countless outreach and communication hours. ◮ American Agricultural Economics Association Award for Policy

Analysis.

◮ Two journal publications, more coming. Yoder YBIP

The story, and the success

◮ The success:

◮ That the science and analysis are now an integral part of the

public discourse.

◮ Not clear how the IP will unfold, but success in this case is

that the work led by the WRC is constructively contributing to this discourse.

◮ The story:

◮ The WRC was tasked by the legislature to do this work, and

this occurs relatively frequently.

◮ Represents a recognition of the WRC as a source for

science-based and methods-driven research.

◮ Represents a long history of WRC work and outreach in

Washington State.

◮ For more information: https://wrc.wsu.edu/2014ybip/.

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The Role of NIWR and Consistent Federal Funding

◮ Many centers and institutes are started and then fade away. ◮ WRRA funding has been a small but critical fiscal foundation

for half of a century.

◮ University matching support and affiliation provides the

capacity.

◮ Critical to build a reputation for science and methods-based

research.

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Other Recent activities due to reputation and performance

◮ Recurrent contracts for

Columbia Basin Water Supply and Demand forecast.

◮ Assessment of options for

addressing groundwater well moratoria due to surface/groundwater interaction.

◮ Skagit County Moratorium ◮ Potenial statewide restrictions

• n domestic well development

in closed basins due to surface water impacts (Hirst Decision)

2016 Washington State Legislative Report

Columbia River Basin

Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast

Submitued December 2016 Pursuant to RCW 90.90.040 by: Publicatjon No. 16-12-001 in collaboratjon with

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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