Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.

     Purpose: This third emergency rule establishes a partial withdrawal of ground water within a portion of WRIA 39 in Kittitas County, Washington for the purpose of implementing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) entered into with Kittitas County on April 7, 2008. The partial withdrawal and restrictions are designed to minimize the potential for a new use of water that negatively affect flows in the Yakima River and its tributaries and does this in a way that minimizes effects on economic development.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 90.54.050.

     Other Authority: Chapter 43.27A RCW.

     Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.

     Reasons for this Finding: The Yakima Basin is one of the state's most water-short areas. Water rights with priority dates as old as 1905 were shut off during the 2001 and 2005 droughts, including the town of Roslyn's municipal supply. Water supply in the Yakima Basin is limited and over-appropriated. Western portions of Kittitas County are experiencing rapid growth and this growth is being largely served by exempt wells. Exempt wells in this area may negatively affect the flow of the Yakima River or its tributaries.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 12, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: March 13, 2009.

Jay J. Manning

Director

OTS-2053.3

     (2) Ecology designed the partial withdrawal and related requirements to minimize the adverse effects on flows in the Yakima River and its tributaries, while minimizing adverse effects on the local economy.

     (3) Based on technical research, Kittitas County may consider the potential for impairment of existing water rights, along with any other environmental impacts, during review of certain land use applications. The county may require mitigation or other ways to manage risks to reduce or eliminate impacts.

     (4) The requirements in this chapter do not apply to areas outside of Kittitas County. Other than the metering requirement of WAC 173-539A-070, the requirements of this chapter apply only in Upper Kittitas County.

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     In 2007, ecology received a petition seeking unconditional withdrawal of all unappropriated ground water in Kittitas County until enough is known about potential effects from new exempt wells on senior water rights and stream flows. Ecology consulted with standing committees of the Washington state legislature on the petition and proposed withdrawal. Ecology then rejected the proposed unconditional withdrawal, and instead signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Kittitas County, which this chapter implements by establishing a partial withdrawal and other requirements.

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     "Applicant" as used herein includes the owner(s) of the parcels that are the subject of the application.

     "Application" as used in WAC 173-539A-050 and 173-539A-055 means a land use application to Kittitas County requesting:

     • A subdivision;

     • Short subdivision;

     • Large lot subdivision;

     • Administrative or exempt segregation;

     • Binding site plan; or

     • Performance based cluster plat.

     "Common ownership" means any type or degree of legal or equitable property interest held by an applicant in any proximate parcel. Common ownership also includes a joint development arrangement between the applicant and any owner of a proximate parcel. A joint development arrangement must involve significant voluntary joint activity and cooperation between the applicant and the owner(s) of one or more proximate parcels with respect to the development of the parcels in question. Joint activity and cooperation that is customary or required by land use or other legal requirements does not itself constitute a joint development arrangement. A joint development arrangement may be evidenced by, but is not limited to, agreements for coordinated development and shared use of services or materials for permitting, design, engineering, architecture, plat or legal documents, financing, marketing, environmental review, clearing or preparing land, and construction (include road construction), and agreements for common use of structures, facilities, lands, water, sewer and other infrastructure, covenants, building materials, or equipment.

     "Ecology" means the department of ecology.

     "Exemption" or "ground water exemption" means the exemption from the permit requirement for a withdrawal of ground water provided under RCW 90.44.050.

     "Group use" means use of the ground water exemption for two or more parcels. A group use includes use of the exemption for all parcels of a proposed development and all parcels that are proximate and held in common ownership with the proposed new residential development where use of the exemption commenced or will commence within five years of the date the current application was filed.

     "Hydrogeologic assessment" means the report prepared by a licensed hydrogeologist and/or others approved by Kittitas County in consultation with ecology addressing the elements identified in WAC 173-539A-060.

     "Lands" refers to both singular "land" and plural "lands."

     "MOA" or "Memorandum of Agreement" means the "Memorandum of Agreement between Kittitas County and the State of Washington, Department of Ecology Regarding Management of Exempt Ground Water Wells in Kittitas County" of April 7, 2008.

     "New residential development" means any division of land involving an application that vested after July 8, 2008.

     "New use of the ground water exemption" means a use begun on or after July 8, 2008.

     "New use for residential purposes" means any new use of the ground water exemption for a new or additional residential purpose associated with an existing or new structure.

     "Parcel" means any parcel, land, tract or other unit of land.

     "Proximate" means all parcels that either:

     • Have any common boundary;

     • Are separated only by roads, easements, or parcels in common ownership; or

     • Are within five hundred feet at the nearest point.

     "Residential purposes" means all domestic use and/or lawn and noncommercial garden use of water on the parcel(s) in question under the ground water exemption. A dwelling unit is not required for a residential purpose to be present. Domestic use is a separate and distinct purpose of use from lawn and noncommercial garden use. Each use may have a different commencement date under the exemption. For purposes of this chapter all use limits refer to combined domestic and lawn and noncommercial garden use. All use of the lawn and noncommercial garden use may not exceed a one-half acre as required in RCW 90.44.050 whether such use is in connection with a group domestic use or a single domestic use.

     "Total water supply available" means the amount of water available in any year from natural flow of the Yakima River, and its tributaries, from storage in the various government reservoirs on the Yakima watershed and from other sources, to supply the contract obligations of the United States to deliver water and to supply claimed rights to the use of water on the Yakima River, and its tributaries, heretofore recognized by the United States.

     "Upper Kittitas County" is the area of Kittitas County delineated in WAC 173-539A-990.

     "Vested" means that under the applicable land use laws an application is considered complete such that the application shall generally be reviewed under laws existing at the time of vesting, unless a special exception may apply. All applications for plat approvals including preliminary plat approvals which were approved by Kittitas County prior to July 8, 2008, are considered to be vested.

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     (2) Any new residential development within upper Kittitas County must not use more than 5,000 gallons per day (gpd) from the ground water exemption for residential purposes. When filing an application for a new residential development, the applicant must file a sworn statement with ecology and Kittitas County that:

     (a) Identifies all parcels that are part of the residential development;

     (b) Identifies all joint development arrangements with respect to proximate parcels; and

     (c) States that to the best of the applicant's knowledge and belief all such parcels and arrangements have been identified. If the application is approved, such statement shall be recorded against all such parcels in which the applicant holds a legal or equitable property interest. The residential development includes all parcels that are the subject of the application or a larger group use.

     (3) For use of the 5,000 gpd exemption limit for a new residential development, ecology and the county will assume each parcel will use 1,250 gpd for residential purposes, unless a condition is recorded as a covenant to use a lesser amount of the group withdrawal. If no exempt lawn or noncommercial garden watering will occur, and a covenant so restricting such use is placed on the parcel, ecology and the county will assume each parcel will use a maximum of 350 gpd unless a condition is recorded as a covenant to use a lesser amount of the group withdrawal.

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     (a) Parcels less than ten acres created after March 28, 2002, may use water under the ground water exemption for residential purposes in an amount that does not exceed the lowest amount below:

     (i) The amount stated in conditions or covenants on water use placed on the plat that created the parcel;

     (ii) The amount stated in conditions on water use specified in the permit/approval of the public water system that is intended to serve the parcel; or

     (iii) 1,250 gpd.

     (b) Parcels ten acres and greater created after March 28, 2002, may use water under the ground water exemption for residential purposes in an amount that does not exceed the lowest amount below:

     (i) The amount stated in conditions or covenants on water use placed on the plat that created the parcel;

     (ii) The amount stated in conditions on water use specified in the permit/approval of the public water system that is intended to serve the parcel; or

     (iii) An average rate of use of 125 gpd per acre up to a maximum of 5,000 gpd.

     (c) This section does not restrict an owner from using more water through other legal permitted water rights.

     (2) New uses for residential purposes on parcels created on or before March 28, 2002, in upper Kittitas County:

     (a) Parcels created on or before March 28, 2002, must use no more than 5,000 gpd for all residential purposes.

     (b) Such use may be further restricted by covenants or conditions on water use set forth in the plat, a land use approval, or a public water system approval, or by any other legal restriction that applies to such use.

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     (a) Submitted to Kittitas County and ecology in the form of a written report, signed by a licensed hydrogeologist and/or others approved by Kittitas County in consultation with ecology; and

     (b) Available as part of the project review under the State Environmental Policy Act.

     (2) The hydrogeologic assessment may be based on available existing information or other new information as required by Kittitas County.

     (3) The required elements of the report are as follows:

     (a) Scope of the proposal including all of the following:

     • The location;

     • Proposed water source(s);

     • Water use amounts; and

     • The timing of the proposed use.

     (b) General description including all of the following:

     • The local geologic, hydrogeologic, and hydrologic setting;

     • Identification of surface water and ground water features;

     • Water sources;

     • Recharge/discharge characteristics; and

     • Surface water and ground water interactions.

     (c) Site-specific description.

     (d) Inventory and description of all of the following:

     • All state issued surface water and ground water rights;

     • All state issued surface water and ground water claims; and

     • Wells located within a one-year and five-year area of pumping influence.

     (e) Identification and description of existing surface water or ground water withdrawals that may be adversely affected by the proposed use of the ground water exemption.

     (f) The preparer's written professional opinion on the potential of the proposal to cause impacts to the natural and built environment including surface water flows.

     (g) A statement of the report's limitations regarding its intended use, including scope, extent, and available data.

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     (2) Metering data must be collected and reported within thirty days of the end of the recording period to Kittitas County and ecology. The following table shows the recording periods and the due dates for each metering report:

Recording Period	Report Due No Later Than:
October 1 - March 31	April 30
April 1 - June 30	July 30
July 1 - July 31	August 30
August 1 - August 31	September 30
September 1 - September 30	October 30

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     (2) Ecology may expedite the processing of an application for a new surface water right or a ground water right hydraulically related to the Yakima River, under Water Resources Program Procedures PRO-1000, Chapter One, including any amendments thereof, if the following requirements are met:

     (a) The application must identify an existing trust water right or pending application to place a water right in trust, if that such trust water right would have an equal or greater contribution to flow during the irrigation season, as measured on the Yakima River at Parker that would serve to mitigate the proposed use. This trust water right must have priority earlier than May 10, 1905, and be eligible to be used for instream flow protection and mitigation of out-of-priority uses.

     (b) The proposed use on the new application must be for domestic, group domestic, lawn or noncommercial garden, and/or municipal water supply purposes of use within the Yakima River Basin. The proposed use must be consistent with any agreement governing the use of the trust water rights.

     (3) If an application for a new water right is eligible for expedited processing under subsection (2) of this section and is based upon one or more pending applications to place one or more water rights in trust, processing of the pending trust water right application(s) shall also be expedited.

     (4) Upon determining that the application is eligible for expedited processing ecology will do the following:

     (a) Review the application to withdraw ground water to ensure that ground water is available from the aquifer without detriment or injury to existing rights, considering the mitigation offered.

     (b) Condition the permit to ensure that existing water rights, including instream flow water rights, are not impaired if the trust water right is from a different source or located downstream of the proposed diversion or withdrawal. The applicant also has the option to change their application to prevent the impairment. If impairment cannot be prevented, ecology must deny the permit.

     (c) Condition each permit to ensure that the tie to the trust water right is clear, and that any constraints in the trust water right are accurately reflected.

     (d) Condition or otherwise require that the trust water right will serve as mitigation for impacts to "total water supply available."

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     (2) When ecology finds that a violation of this rule has occurred, we shall first attempt to achieve voluntary compliance. One approach is to offer information and technical assistance to the person, in writing, identifying one or more means to legally carry out the person's purposes.

     (3) To mitigate for potential impact of an exempt use to the total water supply available and to avoid potential future regulation in favor of senior water rights, ecology encourages exempt users to participate in a mitigation program through the Yakima Basin Pilot Water Bank or to obtain a senior water right.

     (4) To obtain compliance and enforce this chapter, ecology may impose such sanctions as suitable, including, but not limited to, issuing regulatory orders under RCW 43.27A.190 and imposing civil penalties under RCW 90.03.600.

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     (2) Ecology may review this chapter whenever:

     (a) New information is available;

     (b) A change of condition occurs;

     (c) Statutory changes warrant the review; or

     (d) Reviews described in WAC 173-539A-060 show changes are necessary.

     (3) Kittitas County, or interested citizens may request that ecology exercise its discretion to review this chapter at any time.

     (4) If ecology begins a review of this chapter, it will consult with Kittitas County.

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