2025-05-12-minutes-public-works-study-session

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KITTITAS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT STUDY SESSION DATE: May 12, 2025 TOPIC: Domestic and Municipal Water Rights Needs Assessment Grant ACTION REQUESTED: Direction to Staff LEAD STAFF: Arden Thomas RECOMMENDATION: Direct staff to prepare enabling documents. BRIEFING SUMMARY: • Kittitas County is a member of the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan ("Integrated Plan"). • One goal of the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan is to meet domestic and municipal water supply needs. In other words, water for homes and communities. • The Public Works Water Resource Manager serves as the Chair for the Integrated Plan municipal subgroup. • The municipal subgroup has developed a work plan to conduct a water rights needs assessment and to utilize this information to inform outreach efforts. • Public Works proposes to hold a $150,000 grant from the Department of Ecology to implement the municipal subgroup work plan. BACKGROUND: The Integrated Plan was created to meet the water supply needs of fish and wildlife, farmers during dry years, and growing communities. The Integrated Plan has established the Municipal Subgroup to promote the domestic and municipal water supply goals. The County's Water Resource Manager leads this subgroup. The municipal subgroup has developed a work plan to: • Conduct a legal water right vulnerability and needs assessment for a subset of group A and B water providers within the Yakima Basin; and • Utilize this information to guide outreach efforts with water suppliers. The project will be supported by consultants and funded through a $150,000 grant from the Department of Ecology. There is no match requirement. Page 1 of 2 Public Works "Work Session Staff Report", 2025