H-4032              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1499

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Kremen, Holland, Grant, Braddock and May

Read first time 1/18/88 and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

AN ACT Relating to sand and gravel removal; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The department of natural resources manages the aquatic lands of the state, including the beds of the rivers and streams.  The legislature intends that the department manage the aquatic lands in a manner that provides a balance of public benefits for all citizens of the state.  Included among these benefits is the requirement to provide for the protection of the environment.

          In certain geographic areas of the state the composition of the soil and the topography combine to create flood-prone conditions.  Unless accumulated sand and gravel are removed from these rivers and streams on a regular basis a heavy rainstorm may become a disastrous flood.  The department's practices in establishing rates charged to commercial sand and gravel businesses cause the businesses to obtain their product from upland sources rather than from rivers and streams.  As a consequence of the accumulated sand and gravel in the streams, many communities face the threat of periodic, severe floods which threat is increased by the accumulation of material in the rivers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The department of natural resources shall study methods of diminishing flood risks by encouraging sand and gravel businesses to remove excess accumulation of materials from the beds of rivers and streams.  By December 1, 1988, the department of natural resources shall report the results of this study to the appropriate legislative committees.  In preparing the study and report, the department shall work with the Washington association of conservation districts, the conservation commission, and the department of ecology to identify alternative aquatic land management policies to diminish the risks of flooding and identify methods of adjusting sand and gravel prices annually to reflect local market conditions.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.