06.27.06

Cantwell Secures $2 million for Yakima Basin Storage Study

WASHINGTON, DC – Thursday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $2 million she requested for the Bureau of Reclamation to continue the Yakima Basin Storage Study. When completed, this ongoing study will provide recommendations on various water storage alternatives for the region, including the Black Rock Reservoir. “The last few years of drought have taught the entire Northwest how essential it is to address our critical water needs,” Cantwell said. “I applaud the citizens of the Yakima Valley for working with me and fighting so hard to get this study completed. We deserve to have a comprehensive plan for water storage and I look forward to working with my colleagues to secure the additional funding necessary to move forward on this study.” Cantwell has secured a total of more than $5 million in federal funding over the years for the Bureau of Reclamation to continue a multi-year study to evaluate possible solutions to the basin’s water storage needs. Additional water storage capacity has not been added to the 460,000 acre Yakima project since the completion of the Lake Cle Elum Storage Project in 1933. Sid Morrison, Chair of the Yakima Basin Storage Alliance, said, “I am very pleased that Senator Cantwell has again been successful in her unwavering efforts to secure funding for the Yakima Basin Storage Study. Maria's attention and dedication to important issues that impact our regional economy has been invaluable.” A tributary of the Columbia River, the water of the Yakima River serves multiple purposes including supplying municipal water needs, providing irrigation for numerous crops, and its historic purpose as habitat for anadromous fish. Numerous years of below-average precipitation and the related negative economic impact have exposed the need for additional water storage on the Yakima Project. During the 2001 drought, the region's economy suffered a $750 million hit. In 2003, Cantwell invited now-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid to Washington State ito tour the site of the proposed water storage projects, including the proposed Black Rock Reservoir. After the tour, Cantwell worked with Reid to increase federal funds for the study. The funds were included in the Senate version of the fiscal year 2007 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.