11.05.03

Cantwell Secures $1.5 Million for Yakima Basin Water Storage Study

Study will help address water storage capacity shortage in the Yakima Valley

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced this afternoon that she secured $1.5 million to continue the Yakima River Basin Reservoir study, including the proposed Black Rock site, in the conference versions of the fiscal year 2004 Energy and Water appropriations bill.

"This is a great day for Yakima Valley," said Cantwell. "The drought of 2001 was especially painful for this region. We need to find a long-lasting solution to this problem to avoid future economic and environmental hardship. The Yakima Valley is hurting and this money will help us determine the most effective solutions to the storage problem."

Cantwell's funding will provide funds for the Bureau of Reclamation to continue a multi-year study to evaluate possible solutions to the basin's water storage needs. Providing more storage will mean new jobs, especially in agribusiness, more reliable and affordable municipal water supplies, and the continued conservation of fish and wildlife in the Yakima River basin.

A tributary of the Columbia River, the Yakima River plays a critical role in the economic stability of the region, producing cherries, apples, pears, and wine grapes, along with a steady supply of pacific salmon and steelheads. A dry winter in 2000-2001 and a lack of storage capacity led to catastrophic losses in the summer of 2001. Some farmers received as little as 40 percent of their promised water rights. The region's economy suffered a $750 million hit as a result of the agricultural struggle.

Cantwell visited Yakima earlier this year with Nevada Senator Harry Reid and worked with the ranking member of the Energy and Water appropriations subcommittee to increase funds for the study. Cantwell invited Reid to Washington State to tour the site of one of the proposed water shortage projects, the Black Rock Basin Reservoir.

"Whether it is Black Rock, or another storage reservoir, we need to complete this study so that we can have a better understanding of the costs and benefits so that we can move forward on proposals to address critical basin-wide storage needs," added Cantwell.

Cantwell is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee. The Yakima basin funding decision came today from a conference committee resolving differences between the House and Senate versions of the annual appropriations bill for the Bureau of Reclamation, an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior.