July 29, 2008
NISQUALLY RIVER COUNCIL SUBJECT OF WELL-WRITTEN TNT STORY
"Revolution on the Nisqually River
Nisqually council works, successfully, for cooperative conservation
"For people who spend their lives studying rivers, the Nisqually is a model made in heaven. It’s only 78 miles long, but it flows through such spectacular, varied terrain that it makes an ideal living laboratory for geologists, hydrologists and biologists.
MULTIMEDIA: View photo gallery of the Nisqually River corridor
From its birthplace on Mount Rainier through pristine forests to where it enters Puget Sound, the Nisqually River is a Pacific Northwest gem....
The Nisqually is a model in another important way as well.
For 20 years, it has been watched over by the Nisqually River Council, a loosely knit group of landowners, business people and government representatives who rely on consensus and a mutual appreciation of the watershed.
As the global search for ways to balance economic and environmental needs grows more desperate, the Nisqually plan has begun to stand out as a prototype. The 18-member council has had such success that its philosophical basis is being used as a blueprint for environmental management around the world.
The Nisqually process sounds simple, but it involves revolutionary shifts in thinking about politics, economics and lifestyles.
In short, rather than saving the river from people, the Nisqually River Council tries to save the river for people. Its members use collaboration instead of government regulations and the courts, looking for places where economic values and nature’s values align....
THE NISQUALLY RIVER COUNCIL
The 18-member Nisqually River Council is made up of representatives from:
• Pierce County
• Thurston County
• Lewis County
• State Department of Fish and Wildlife
• State Parks and Recreation Commission
• State Department of Natural Resources
• State Department of Ecology
• Nisqually Tribe
• Citizens Advisory Committee (two seats)
• Washington Conservation Commission
• University of Washington/Pack Forest
• U.S. Army at Fort Lewis
• Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
• Mount Rainier National Park
• Tacoma Public Utilities
• Eatonville, Roy and Yelm (one seat to cover all three towns)
• Gifford Pinchot National Forest"
Click Here for more information on the Nisqually River Council
Click here for the big map of the Nisqually River Basin.
This is from the DEIS Summary Water Service: Older, aging facilities within the City's existing system (such as wells and reservoirs) may no longer be needed and may be taken off line. Thurston Highlands is expected to generate an average daily water supply demand of at least l.6 million gallons per day (exclusive of fire flow demand). My comment: Does Yelm have it's eye on the Nisqually River as surface water for this tremendous project?
fyi - Three Thurston County cities soon could seek to buy water rights from dozens of individuals to serve their growing communities - although officials don't plan to use the rights for drinking water.
Lacey, Olympia and Yelm would place the water rights they acquire in the Deschutes River basin into trust; in other words, stop their active use. By making more water available for the river's flow from those rights, the cities then can subtract the same volume of water to serve its communities with no net effect, according to their proposal. The cities the would pump that volume of water from new wells.
On Thursday, the Lacey City Council signed an agreement to hire a consultant to negotiate the purchase of the water rights. The vote, preceded by little discussion, was 5-0. Council members Virgil Clarkson and Tom Nelson were absent.
Olympia and Yelm will take action on the agreement soon.
Last year, the cities agreed to hire a consultant, WestWater Research of Vancouver, Wash., to identify water rights in the river basin that could be used for mitigation. About 50 water rights were identified, said Peter Brooks, Lacey's water resources manager.
The cost of the new contract to negiotate any purchases will be split between the three cities and not exceed a total of $80,000, according to the agreement. The cost of the contract with WestWater was unavailable.
The cities have pending requests for new water rights before the state Department of Ecology that modeling shows would reduce the stream flow of the Deschutes River. Ecology requires the cities mitigate the effect to secure those new rights.
Thanks Liz, My interest is water quality. Yelm was somehow forcded do a Comprehensive Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (long resisted)on this huge development. The CP states that Yelm has no capital facilities for water and sewage. I guess that means their wells do not meet State requirements. Thru the years at City Council Meetings, there have been a number of studies and test sites but no new clean wells in use. The EIS says Yelm will be looking to surface water for development. There is a lawsuit here, but it is to protect existing water rights. The County is co-partner with Yelm for the development. I don't understand health and finance issues for residents. The CP and EIS is available at Yelm. Not sure how what you say fits but have hopes it will be sorted out. Nice article.