Welcome to Skagit County

October 2, 2007

SECOND MEETING OF NEW SKAGIT RIVER BASIN WATER RESOURCES ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO BE HELD OCTOBER 3

SKAGIT COUNTY – The Board of Skagit County Commissioners have announced that the second meeting of the Skagit River Basin Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 in the Commissioners Hearing Room at 1800 Continental Place in Mount Vernon.

The WRAC comprises representatives from a broad range of entities and individuals who have an interest in water resource issues in the Skagit River Basin, such as water purveyors, local tribes, agricultural interests, local governments, and environmental groups. The purpose of the WRAC is to provide input from the local community to the Washington Department of Ecology on water rights decisions and use of recently-established water reserves within the basin. The Department of Ecology is the state agency with jurisdiction over water rights. Under a May 2006 amendment to the Skagit River Basin Instream Flow Rule, the Department of Ecology and Skagit County are tasked with jointly managing the water reserves.

The Skagit River Instream Flow Rule (codified as Chapter 173-503 of the Washington Administrative Code) establishes minimum instream flow levels for the Skagit River and its tributaries and sets aside a very limited amount of water for future out-of-stream uses through the establishment of water reserves. The reserves are available for water uses that require a water right, or for smaller withdrawals that are exempt from the water right process. This rule and state water codes provide the framework by which water rights decisions are to be made in the Skagit River Basin. By way of an inter-local agreement with Skagit County, Ecology has agreed to consider input from the local community when making water rights decisions, and the WRAC will provide a forum to provide that advice. Ecology has agreed to support the WRAC by making its staff available to explain the Department’s water rights process and to answer procedural and policy questions from the WRAC.

If you have questions about the WRAC, please contact Gary Stoyka, Skagit County Public Works by email at gstoyka@co.skagit.wa.us, or by telephone at 360-336-9400.