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Miller Land and Timber Water Rights Applications; <br />Thurston County, WA. LAI assisted Miller Land and <br />Timber Company (Miller) (through Century Pacific, <br />L.P.) in procuring new water right permits for two <br />planned subdivisions in the Woodland Creek <br />watershed (part of Water Resource Inventory Area <br />[WRIA1 13) in north Thurston County. Woodland <br />Creek is closed to future appropriation by rule; <br />however, new water rights were identified as the <br />best water source strategy because the project sites <br />were outside the City of Lacey service area, and <br />development in the north -county area meant <br />municipal water rights were generally not available <br />for transfer. <br />The strategy for developing a groundwater source was to develop a workable hydrogeologic conceptual <br />model, quantify pumping Impacts, and develop a mitigation plan to offset these impacts. Originally, LAI <br />relied on work done by the USGS, which had developed a county -wide numerical groundwater flow <br />model. We conducted simulations using the USGS model to quantify hydraulic continuity with Woodland <br />Creek. The approach and model results were approved by Ecology and incorporated into Reports of <br />Examination (ROES) for both sites. <br />The ROEs were appealed by the Squaxin Island <br />Tribe, which developed a separate numerical <br />groundwater flow model. LAI supported Miller <br />as an expert witness In testimony on the appeal <br />at the Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB); <br />Ecology was a co-defendant. The PCHB issued a <br />complex decision (No. 05-137) In November <br />2006 that reaffirmed Ecology's authority to <br />issue water right permits with mitigation but <br />remanded the ROES. The decision also <br />specifically allowed Ecology to issue a <br />preliminary permit to further assess the effect <br />of groundwater withdrawals on the creek <br />Conceptual Model WON <br />A A <br />'V!77• <br />,ago ;TAN i � ---- r- <br />aeu ? TM aao <br />Under a preliminary permit, LAI drilled three deep (300- to 550 -foot -deep) wells and conducted two <br />pumping tests that included monitoring a local exempt well. <br />LAI also conducted a review of well logs throughout the basin, including a number of wells recently <br />drilled by the City of Lacey, and developed an updated hydrogeologic conceptual model that was <br />significantly different from the original USGS interpretation. A separate task also included gauging a <br />Woodland Creek tributary to establish baseflow data. This conceptual model included the presence of a <br />Pre-Vashon age glacial trough, more than 500 feet deep in places, largely filled by lacustrine (clay) <br />sediments. <br />LAI incorporated the updated hydrogeologic understanding into a revised numerical groundwater flow <br />model that was presented in a report to Ecology, along with a revised mitigation plan. Ecology <br />subsequently hired an independent third -party expert to verify LAI's modeling approach and ultimately <br />issued amended ROES approving the new water rights without further protest from the Squaxin Tribe. <br />Kittitas County T Water Banking Program Support <br />