Laserfiche WebLink
Kittitas County Water !Mitigation Program Acquisition Priorities <br />Acquisition criteria <br />• Yakima Basin surface water right confirmed through Acquavella adjudication, with a priority <br />date senior to May 10, 1905 <br />• No history of curtailment due to water availability, unless justification memorandum identifies <br />expected utility to water resources program and specifically addresses: <br />o rationale for purchase of a water right with a history of curtailment; <br />o the amount of consumptive use water expected to be approved for transfer in light of <br />curtailment history; <br />o additional mitigation requirements expected to utilize water for mitigation. <br />• Documentation of use to support extent and validity review <br />Water available a fiscally sound price, including both purchase price and staff costs required to <br />complete acquisition. <br />Acquisition Minimum Quantity Thresholds <br />• Tier la and 2a - The quantity must be sufficient to satisfy the 20 -year growth projection in the <br />associated red zone. <br />• Tier 1c—There is no minimum quantify threshold, since staff time will already be allocated on <br />the land real estate transaction. <br />• Tiers 2 and 3 - for water that has already gone through the change process, transferring the <br />purpose of use to instream flow and flow and mitigation, the minimum quantity for acquisition <br />consideration is 20 acre-feet of consumptive use water. <br />• Tiers 2 and 3, for water that has not undergone the water right change process, transferring the <br />purpose of use to instream flow and flow and mitigation, the minimum quantity for acquisition <br />consideration is 80 acre-feet of consumptive use water. <br />Acquisition Priorities <br />Tier 1 <br />• Priority la - Senior water rights in areas with no legal access to water to mitigate new domestic <br />uses. <br />• Priority lb - Purchase of water rights in banks in locations where downstream sale risks red zone <br />creation and where water right purchase will secure mitigation availability in at risk area. <br />• Priority 1c - Senior water rights purchased in concert with land acquisitions that advance other <br />county objectives. <br />Tier 2 <br />• Priority 2a - Acquisitions at a particularly competitive price point, which will promote the long- <br />term supply of county water assets <br />