Agricultural Water Rights Workshop

"Accessing different water sources" Steve Hirschey and Susan Kaufman-

Una, King CountyNovember 2, 2010

Alternative Methods to Get Water

• leasing water rights:– Short-term of years to seasonal change;– split season.

• reclaimed water. • harvesting rainwater, and • other options.

Water Use with No Water Right

• You are not alone

• No paper or don’t know – find out by location data and talk with Ecology

• Use not in conformance with the paper documentation

King County Water Rights

Ground water Surface water Totals

Claims 7849 3219 11068

Certificates 969 2416 3385

Permits 71 16 87

Totals 8889 5651 14540

New Uses with Changes to water rights

Ecology must determine:

• Water right developed and maintained by beneficial use - documentation

• Change will not impair existing rights• Change is not detrimental to public

welfare

Perfected Water Rights Documented by a Claim or Certificate can be changed:

• Look up-stream• Point of diversion/withdrawal; same source• Place of use• Purpose of use• Add uses or add irrigated acres• Period of use (change purpose)

Ground water permits can be changed:

• Look uphill• For point of withdrawal• For place of use• But not for purpose of use nor source of water

– must be same aquifer

Ground Water Permit ExemptionRCW 90.44.050

“… any withdrawal of public ground waters for stock-watering purposes, or for the watering of a lawn or of a noncommercial garden not exceeding one-half acre in area, or for single or group domestic uses in an amount not exceeding five thousand gallons a day, or as provided in RCW 90.44.052, or for an industrial purpose in an amount not exceeding five thousand gallons a day, is and shall be exempt from the provisions of this section…”

The Permit Exempt Well Lens

• Daily indoor use: 5,000 gpd • There is no gallon limit for a

non-commercial lawn or garden, the limit is acreage: 1/2 acre

• Industrial - includes nursery irrigation (Kim case): 5,000 gpd

• Livestock: unlimited withdrawal (Attorney General Opinion)

Ground Water Permit ExemptionRCW 90.44.050

• Water users withdrawing ground water under the exemption establish a water right equal to the water right they would establish by obtaining a permit from the Department of Ecology.

• The priority of such a water right dates back to the beginning of beneficial use of the water.

• Stockwatering Attorney General Opinion

Ground Water Permit ExemptionRCW 90.44.050

• All wells for a given project apply toward the limits of exemption.

• For example, one could not irrigate two acres by installing four wells - each serving 1/2 acre,

• or use 10,000 gallons per day by installing two wells.

What is reclaimed water?

•Wastewater treatment plant effluent that has been highly treated for safe and beneficial use

• Washington State has strict guidelines and standards for treatment and use

•Class A reclaimed water can be used for almost everything except drinking

•Used for food crops in US now

Gallo Wines Florida and California Oranges

Monterey CA strawberries

What do you need to use reclaimed water?

• A source of reclaimed water (treatment plant) and a way to get it to your farm– Conveyance system of purple pipes (very limited)– Truck and haul from South Plant (Renton)– User Agreement (required by Ecology’s permit)

Existing Reclaimed Water Distribution Systems in

King County

• Sammamish Valley- west side of river- Good for irrigation (soccer

fields and food crops) and environmental uses

- Available in 2012/13- Developing rates now

Distribution system in

Tukwila from South Plant

- irrigation, wetland nursery, fill station

- future- industrial processes and

heating and cooling

Future Possibilities?

• City of Bothell Feasibility Study- may have truck fill station

• Reclaimed Water Comprehensive Plan- when, if how would we expand the existing reclaimed water system (next few years)– Distribution system to Green River APD?– Satellite Plants?

• Stay Tuned

Rainwater Harvesting

• Stormwater management versus collecting water for a beneficial use. PCHB decision on the Third Runway at SeaTac

• Water off the roof and pavement but not the contoured landscape

• Dispose of the water on parcel of origin

Western Washington State Water Use & Precipitation Crunch

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50

100

150

200

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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

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UsePrecip

Precip in InchesUse in gpd

What Would the Fate of Rainwater Be If It Had Not Been Captured, Stored and Used?

• Some would runoff the roof and become stormwater

• Some would infiltrate into the ground, become interflow, and then:– Become stormwater– Recharge the aquifer– Become baseflow for a stream– Be evapotranspirated

• Some would be evapotranspirated right away

Other Water

Other Options and or General Observations

Thank You

Susan Kaufman-Una & Steve HirscheyKing County, Department of Natural Resources

& Parkssusan.kaufman-Una@kingcounty.govsteve.hirschey@kingcounty.gov