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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: August 14, 2023 <br />TOPIC: 2023 Drought Press Release <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direction to staff <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Arden Thomas <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Direct staff to issue press release notifying exempt well users relying on back mitigation <br />about protections and limitations. <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• On July 24th, 2023, the Department of Ecology declared drought in parts of 12 <br />counties, including the Yakima Basin portion of Kittitas County. <br />• In the May 23, 2014, settlement agreement between Futurewise, the Kittitas <br />County Conservation Coalition, RIDGE Association, the Washington State <br />Department of Ecology and Kittitas County, Kittitas County committed to notify <br />mitigated pre-existing exempt well users that they are at risk of being curtailed <br />except for indoor domestic uses and irrigation of 500 sq. ft. of exterior yard <br />during times of drought. <br />• County staff recommends conducting this notification via a press release. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />On July 24th, 2023, the Department of Ecology declared drought in parts of 12 counties, <br />including the Yakima Basin portion of Kittitas County. Kittitas County has purchased <br />water rights to provide "back mitigation." This back mitigation provides water security <br />to historic exempt well uses. These protections are limited to indoor domestic uses and <br />irrigation of up to 500 square feet of exterior yard. In the May 23, 2014, settlement <br />agreement between Futurewise, the Kittitas County Conservation Coalition, RIDGE <br />Association, the Washington State Department of Ecology and Kittitas County, Kittitas <br />County committed to notify mitigated pre-existing exempt well users that they are at risk <br />of being curtailed except for indoor domestic uses and irrigation of 500 sq. ft. of exterior <br />yard during times of drought. County staff recommends conducting this notification via a <br />press release. <br />Page I of 3 <br />PUBLIC WORKS BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />