WRIA 56/HANGMAN CREEK Watershed Implementation Team (WIT) Meeting Tuesday, September 18, 2007 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Harvester Restaurant 410 W. First St. Spangle, WA
Meeting Summary
Attending:
Bill Bealer, Ridge at Hangman
Reanette Boese, Spokane County
Steve Bortfeld, Hangman Hills Water District
Walt Edelen, Spokane County Conservation District
Kris Graf, City of Spokane
Gerry Green, CDA Tribe
Peter Grunte, Watershed Resident
Susan Gulick, Sound Resolutions (Facilitator)
Sara Hunt, Dept. of Ecology
Rick Noll, Spokane County Conservation District
Gary Ostheller, Fairfield Grange
Bill Rickard, City of Spokane, Environmental Programs
Ray Soltero, Ridge at Hangman
1. Review Meeting Summary
q The Meeting Summary from the September 4th meeting was approved with changes to two bullets:
§ The DIP will include a new action in 2010 to discuss the options for an organizational structure of the WIT after Phase IV is complete.
§ In an earlier meeting the WIT had approved using the remaining early action funds to cover the O&M costs of the stateline stream gauge. Walt discussed this with USGS and they are willing to maintain the stream gauge, although there is not quite enough early action money to cover the costs.
2. Inchoate Water Rights Analysis
q Surveys are still needed from the following large water rights holders:
§ Cheney
§ Upper Columbia Academy
§ Airway Express Inn
q In addition, surveys are needed from these smaller entities:
§ Hide-Away Mobile Home Park
§ Patterson Addition
§ Hilltop Mobile Home Park
q Walt will follow up with the City Administrator at Cheney; Laila will contact the others.
3. Funding issues
q The WIT discussed which projects from the DIP should be funded from the Phase IV Implementation grant and the Watershed Council Support Grant. The Phase IV grant will provide $100,000 per year for two years, and the Watershed Council Support Grant will provide $30,000 over two years. This provides a total of $230,000 over two years.
q Stream Gauge
§ The WIT determined that a pressure transducer would be an adequate stream gauge to be located between the upper and lower watershed. This will cost approximately $4,000 to purchase and install and about $5,000-$6,000 per year to maintain. This is much less expensive than the real-time gauges USGS installs.
q Greenbelts
§ It is estimated that the task of identifying potential properties for greenbelts and conservancy corridors will cost about $5,000-$10,000.
q Fish Barriers
§ For the task of identifying and mapping fish barriers it was decided that the steps should be:
· Identify potential barriers;
· Discuss which barriers merit removal; and
· Survey only those barriers that are recommended for removal.
§ It was agreed that the first two tasks (not including surveying) should be considered for the 2008 grant funds. Walt and Rick will develop a cost estimate for this before the next meeting.
§ Identification of fish barriers in Idaho is almost complete so this will reduce some of the work that needs to be completed.
q Drought Management Plan
§ The WIT needs to further discuss the timing for the drought management plan. The estimated cost is $60,000. This could be delayed until 2010 or could be done earlier, depending on other priorities.
q Riparian Improvements
§ The costs of implementing riparian zone improvements will vary. The WIT will identify the funds it would like to invest in this effort. It could range from as small as $10-20,000 to over $100,000.
q Proper Functioning Assessments
§ Completing Proper Functioning Assessments on some streams will cost about $20,000.
q Questionnaire to Water Rights Holders
§ The cost of this task will depend on how many recipients receive the survey. Walt will double check the total number of water rights holders.
§ Sara will check with Ecology to determine how this will fit into the pre-adjudication work Ecology is doing.
§ The WIT will reserve $5-10,000 for this in 2009, but this may be delayed until 2010.
q SCCD Staff Time/Administrative Support
§ Walt will also provide an estimate of the grant funds needed to cover SCCD staff time and administrative costs.
q The WIT will refine these costs/grant allocations at the next meeting.
PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES OF GRANT ALLOCATIONS
|
Task |
2008 Grant |
2009 Grant |
|
Stream Gauge |
$8,0000 |
$6,000 |
|
Greenbelts |
$10,000 |
|
|
Fish Barriers |
TBD |
|
|
Riparian improvements |
TBD |
TBD |
|
PFC Assessments |
|
$20,000 |
|
Drought Management Plan |
|
$60,000 |
|
Water Rights Questionnaire |
|
$10,000 |
|
SCCD Staff/Admin |
TBD |
TBD |
|
TOTALS |
$18,000 |
$96,000 |
4. Instream Flow Discussions
q The WIT agreed that it will spend one hour at an upcoming meeting recapping the status of instream flows (i.e. areas of consensus, areas of disagreements, barriers to agreement, and options for resolution).
5. Updates/Other Issues
q There will be a workshop sometime in early 2008 to discuss water banking and water trusts.
6. Upcoming Meetings
q Tuesday, October 2nd at the SCCD conference room in Spokane. NOTE: This meeting will be from 1:30-3:30.
q Tuesday, October 16th at the Harvester Restaurant in Spangle from 10-12.
7. Facilitation/Coordination of Phase IV Implementation
q The WIT discussed the direction of facilitation and concluded that they will continue facilitation services after the DIP is completed.
q The SCCD favored the idea to retain services to allow the SCCD to be involved in implementation projects and tasks and not be constrained with being a "task master" to the group. There was consensus on this.
NOTE: Susan was not present for this discussion
at (206) 548-0469 or by e-mail at Susan@Soundresolutions.com.