Yes. It's too early to predict disaster, but if not 2010 maybe 2011 or 2012. And none of the elected politicians with responsibility in this county seem to be sensing any need for action, or even preparation. It's politics as usual. While state and federal agencies have studied the Yakima River Basin nearly to death, very little action has actually occurred despite overwhelming evidence that additional water storage has been needed for decades, that water has been over-appropriated, and that this need has grown exponentially.
What is at stake is the livelihood of thousands of residents who depend on agriculture and ag-related businesses. The efforts that have been spent on fish recovery and recreation-based businesses are also very much at risk. Declining snowpack and resultant surface water loss increases the threat of wildfires. Living things in the basin become stressed and many die. You know all this already. Then why hasn't there been any action?
The federal agency controlling water flow on the Yakima River is the Bureau of Reclamation. Irrigation entities rely on Reclamation to monitor and control water flow. These entities, like KRD, Roza, and KID and many more smaller water operations jealously guard their water from other water users (scores of local organizations sued to keep Roslyn from legally obtaining water, for example). As far as increasing the water supply itself? Well, other than a grass roots effort at Black Rock the local water people rely on the feds, without taking much initiative themselves.
The Preliminary Integrated Water Resource Management Plan for the Yakima River Basin is final. County Commissioners took part in these Arboretum talks. Didn't add much, but at least one of them attended as well as a few KRD people. The trouble is, this plan is flawed. Though additional storage is addressed, it draws out the planning, then funding, until the actual construction of this storage is put off for years, possibly decades, if ever. In other words, there is no sense of urgency. And, in the end, we shelve yet one more study of the Yakima Basin onto the pile along with the scores of studies that have proceeded this one. Studied to death.
It is interesting that the people who construed these talks and this study...and even the ones invited to participate in the actual meetings....all work for agencies of one sort or another. And that the ones most affected by water policy...farmers, ranchers, orchardists...were most notably absent. Call it what you want but to me it looks like agriculture will have to collapse before anyone pays any attention to this issue. I will say that the local politicians WERE quick to jump on the moratorium bandwagen AFTER the fact. Should we expect any more than this?
