ANALYSIS OF HCR 4407

House Agriculture & Ecology Committee                                        March 5, 1997

BACKGROUND:

Under the Yakima Basin Water Enhancement Project planning study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of Ecology, several means of providing additional stream flows and water supplies for the Yakima basin have been explored.  In 1986, a plan formulation study, prepared by the staff of the two agencies, recommended to the agency directors four alternative plans for more detailed analysis.  Each contained a core measure and a storage component; three contained non-storage measures.  The storage recommended for further consideration in three of these alternatives called for an enlargement of Bumping Lake storage from an additional 250,000 acre feet to an additional 458,000 acre feet.  One alternative called for a 142,000 acre feet Wymer Reservoir.  (Plan Formulation Study, dated January 1986.)

SUMMARY:

A Joint Select Committee on Yakima Valley Water Storage is established to examine means of increasing existing water storage in Bumping Lake and of creating new water storage in Pine Hollow and other areas of Yakima County.  The committee consists of six members: three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and three members appointed by the President of the Senate.  Two from the members from each chamber are from the majority party caucus and one from each chamber is from the minority party caucus.  The members of the joint select committee select co-chairs, one from the House of Representatives and one from the Senate.  The joint select committee must report its recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 1997.