HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1499

BYRepresentatives Kremen, Holland, Grant, Braddock and May

Requiring the department of natural resources to study methods of encouraging businesses to remove sand and gravel.

House Committe on Natural Resources

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (18)

      Signed by Representatives Sutherland, Chair; K. Wilson, Vice Chair; Amondson, Basich, Beck, Bumgarner, Butterfield, Cole, Dorn, Fuhrman, Hargrove, Haugen, Meyers, Sayan, Schmidt, C. Smith, Spanel and S. Wilson.

House Staff:Robert Butts (786-7841)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES FEBRUARY 2, 1988

BACKGROUND:

The State of Washington owns the beds of navigable rivers, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the beds of these rivers for the state.

Sand and gravel has been removed from rivers for use in road construction and for other projects since before statehood.  For many years, this sand and gravel was taken from state-owned rivers for free.  In the mid-1970's, the Department of Natural Resources began better enforcing the taking of gravel and ensuring that the fair market price was paid. 

The removal of sand and gravel from a river bed can reduce the frequency and severity of flooding of a river depending on where and how much gravel is removed.  This was recognized by the 1984 Legislature, which passed legislation that requires DNR to reduce the price of sand and gravel by an amount equal to the flood protection that will result from the removal of the sand and gravel.

DNR's regulations implementing the 1984 legislation allow for a price reduction if an approved comprehensive flood control management plan indicates that flood control benefits would occur.  To date, most rivers do not have completed comprehensive flood control management plans, so the price reduction is not available.  Flood control plans are being developed, but they take several years to complete.  As a result, some sand and gravel operators and local officials think that the price of river gravel remains too high, and are concerned that the risk of flooding is increasing each year.

It also is thought by some that DNR's negotiated sand and gravel prices in rural areas of the state are uncompetitive with other sources of gravel.  According to DNR, the average charge per cubic yard of gravel varies from a low of $.25 for contracts in Cowlitz and Grays Harbor Counties, to a high of $1.09 in Pierce County.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  The Department of Natural Resources shall study methods of diminishing flood risks by encouraging sand and gravel businesses to remove excess accumulations of materials from the beds of rivers and streams.  The Department also shall identify methods of annually adjusting sand and gravel prices to reflect local market conditions.  Results of the studies shall be reported to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 1988.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The substitute adds the Department of Wildlife, the Department of Fisheries, and representation of the sand and gravel industry to the list of groups that the Department of Natural Resources must work with in compiling the study.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Bas Scholtem, Washington Association of Conservation Districts and Washington Dairymen's Federation.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The costs of removing sand and gravel from flood-prone rivers is too high.  As a result, only small amounts of sand and gravel are removed, and the risk of flooding increases each year.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.