Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project
Columbia-Cascades Area Office

YRBWEP 2010 Workgroup — Yakima River Basin Study

Reclamation has implemented the WaterSMART Basin Study Program to define options for future water management of Western river basins. The Yakima River basin in central Washington State was one of three proposals chosen to participate in the program. 

The study includes all or a significant portion of three counties—Kittitas, Yakima, and Benton, and a very small part of Klickitat County. Reclamation was awarded up to $1.3 million to partner with Washington State Department of Ecology, who will provide matching funds up to $1.3 million. In addition, Ecology will also cover remaining costs associated with finalizing the Preliminary Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (IWRMP), which was developed by the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project 2009 Workgroup.

The study will build on previous efforts of the YRBWEP 2009 Workgroup to provide additional analysis of water needs as well as a more robust analysis of climate change impacts. The study team will then develop a conceptual restoration plan which will be evaluated using a multidisciplinary decision support model. Plan components will be adjusted based on model outputs in response to the sensitivity of those components to environmental and socioeconomic concerns and uncertainties.

The Basin Study and IWRMP will accomplish the following objectives:

• Achieve stakeholder consensus around a well-defined set of strategies for resolving water supply and streamflow imbalances as well as other aquatic resource issues;
• Delineate a clear pathway for short-term and long-term IWRMP implementation; and
• Provide the basis for future local, State, and/or Federal authorization and appropriations for the IWRMP.

Meetings

2009 Workgroup Meeting Notes and Handouts>>

YRBWEP Reports

Yakima River Basin Fish Passage, Phase I and II Fish Screen Construction Project Completion Report

PDF 2.8 mb

Yakima - Tieton Irrigation District

Washington State Department of Ecology

Last Update: July 27, 2012 8:28 AM