SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5919
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Environment, Energy & Water, February 20, 2001
Title: An act relating to the assessment of potential site locations for water storage projects.
Brief Description: Providing for the assessment of potential site locations for water storage projects.
Sponsors: Senators Morton, Fraser, Honeyford and Rasmussen.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Environment, Energy & Water: 2/16/01, 2/20/01 [DPS].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & WATER
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5919 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Fraser, Chair; Regala, Vice Chair; Eide, Hale, Honeyford, Jacobsen, McDonald, Morton and Patterson.
Staff: Richard Rodger (786‑7461)
Background: Last year the Legislature created a task force to examine the role of increased water storage in providing water supplies to meet the needs of fish, population growth, and economic development, and to enhance the protection of people's lives and their property and the protection of aquatic habitat through flood control facilities.
Watershed planning groups are required to address water quantity in the management area by undertaking an assessment of water supply and use, in the management area, and develop strategies for future use. The task force recommended the state should help the local watershed planning groups in assessing potential site locations for water storage projects.
Summary of Substitute Bill: The watershed planning groups may identify potential storage site locations for water storage projects. The potential site locations may be for either large or small projects and cover the full range of possible alternatives. The possible alternatives include off-channel storage, underground storage, the enlargement or enhancement of existing storage, and on-channel storage.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The watershed planning groups authority to conduct water storage site evaluations are clarified.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: We need better utilization of water in the state. Evaluation of water storage options is a necessary step and an important tool to meeting the state's water needs. For example, there are many abandoned mine shafts in the state that should be evaluated as potential sites for water storage. Perhaps the planning groups should be provided additional funding to undertake this task.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Senator Bob Morton, prime sponsor; Keith Phillips, Department of Ecology (pro); Linda Johnson, Farm Bureau (pro).