DRAFT Columbia River Water Supply Report Now Available for Comment

Columbia River Water Supply Inventory and Demand Forecasting – Conservation Project Reports

"Columbia River Legislative Report

On Feb. 14, 2006, the Legislature passed a bill creating a new framework for managing water resources in the Columbia River basin. The legislation requires the Washington State Department of Ecology to complete an inventory of the Columbia River’s water supply and to forecast future water supply and demand requirements.

The report, due November 15, 2006, consists of two parts. The first, the Columbia River Water Supply Inventory, lists the conservation and storage projects available for acquiring water for instream uses like ensuring adequate streamflows for fish and out-of-stream uses such as for farming and drinking water. The Columbia River Water Management Program will use this report to evaluate and rank projects for funding. The Supply Inventory Report will be updated annually. The second portion, the Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast, looks at increased water demands due to population growth and the effect crop changes and global warming may have on water supply and demand. As required by the legislation, Ecology will update the water supply inventory annually and the long-term water supply and demand forecast every five years. These reports will help the State to manage the river more efficiently.

Draft Columbia River Water Supply Inventory and Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast Report

Ecology is releasing the Draft Columbia River Water Supply Inventory and Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast Report for public comment. The data and recommendations contained in the first report to the Legislature will form the foundation for implementing the Columbia River Bill RCW 90.90.030 and will help state officials determine the extent of the need for water supplies that will rely upon the Columbia River."