Planning Unit

WRIA 56

Hangman (Latah) Creek Local Watershed Plan

April 27, 2004

Chair:            Walt Edelen, Spokane County Conservation District (SCCD)

Present:         Gary Ostheller, Fairfield Triangle Grange

                       Reanette Boese, Spokane County

                       Bill Rickard, City of Spokane

                       Peter Grunte, Hangman Valley Resident

                       Doug Allen, Ecology

                       Rick Noll, SCCD

                       Jilla Harmon, SCCD

The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. with introductions.

Minutes:

The minutes for the April 15 and 20, 2004 meetings were not available yet for review and approval.  When they are completed they will be e-mailed to the Planning Unit for review.

Open Discussion/Public Comment – No Comments

Business

FEMA Study – USGS Re-Mapping Project

The Planning unit discussed the priorities for re-mapping of the 100-year flood plain within the watershed.  The County is considering completing the reaches from the Rock Creek confluence to the Hangman Valley Golf Course.  The Planning Unit suggested that two other large segments be added to the County’s list.  Walt will send these suggestions to Ted Olson, in the Flood Management department in Ecology, for the May 3, 2004 decision-making meeting. 

The following are the priorities that the Planning Unit agreed on:

1.      Rock Creek confluence to Hangman Valley Golf Course

2.      Hangman Valley Golf Course to Hatch Road

3.      Hatch Road to Vinegar Flats (to I-90 bridge)

Instream Flow

At the last meeting Doug Allen had brought up the issues of municipal reserve, domestic exempt wells, ground water, and the upper watershed that haven’t been fully discussed after the Planning Unit tabled the Instream Flow issue.  Walt asked Doug to open today’s discussion.  Doug explained that he thought that the Planning Unit needed to look at what a 20-year demand would be for the different areas.

Municipal Reserve

Doug asked if we had an estimate of what the municipal and domestic need in the watershed would be in 20 years. 

There was a lengthy discussion by the Planning Unit.  Reanette reported on some calculations she worked up looking at the City’s projected use in 20 years and came up with 139 acre-feet would be sufficient.   She said that it looked like there were about three cities, with their projected growth, that may not have enough water in 20 years, (Waverly, Spangle and Fairfield).

There was some discussion regarding Reanette proposal on a 400 acre-feet annual reserve for both domestic and municipal.  After a lengthy discussion, the Planning Unit made the recommendation for a municipal reserve of 224 acre-feet per year

Domestic Exempt Wells

The Planning Unit made the recommendation on a domestic reserve, of 500 acre-feet per year.

Walt asked each of the Planning Unit members if they agreed with setting a Reserve of 1cfs for Municipal and Domestic and dividing it between the two.  Municipal would be set at 224 acre feet per year and Domestic would be set at 500 acre feet per year which would total the 1cfs.

Rick Noll– yes

Doug Allen– yes

Gary Ostheller– yes

Reanette Boese–yes, will need to run this by the County Commissioners

Bill Rickard– yes, will need to run this by the City

Peter Grunte– yes

The Planning Unit agreed with this decision pending some review with other staff.

Groundwater and Upper Watershed Issues-Aquifer Issues

The Planning Unit had a lengthy discussion on the aquifer and how pumping water out will affect the creek.  The Planning Unit decided that if there wasn’t already a recommendation on the Issues & Recommendations List, that one should be added regarding a groundwater study looking at the connectivity in the upper watershed.

Doug Allen asked where we were in regards to the minimum instream flow.  Walt reviewed the tasks remaining.  The Planning Unit reviewed their positions on a minimum instream flow.  This information will be compiled and presented to the public. A public meeting will be scheduled for Late May/early June to gather input.  The document will then be compiled, reviewed, and delivered to Ecology.

Next Meeting

The next regular WRIA meeting will be held on May 27, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

The June meeting was set for Tuesday, June 8 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.   Both meetings will be held at the SCCD offices.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m.