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Ecology home | Water supply | Streamflow restoration | WRIA 9 Duwamish/Green Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Committee

Last revised: March 24, 2021

The Streamflow Restoration Act (RCW 90.94) is a new law affecting water resource management in Washington State. The law, passed in 2018, helps protect water resources while providing water for families in rural Washington. 

• Read more about the Streamflow Restoration law

The law directs local planning groups in 15 watersheds to develop or update plans that offset potential impacts to instream flows associated with new permit-exempt domestic water use.

Ecology is leading the WRIA 9 Duwamish/Green Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Committee. Get more information:

• If you would like to receive notices about WRIA 9 Duwamish/Green Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Committee meetings, subscribe to the email list .

How the law affects this watershed

As of Jan. 19. 2018, new permit-exempt wells for domestic use in this watershed are:

• allowed 950 gallons per day as the maximum annual average (350 gallons per day during drought).
• subject to a $500 fee.

Please contact your county for more information on these standards as they may change in the final watershed plan or any potential rulemaking.

This watershed:

• has an instream flow rule that does not regulate permit-exempt wells.
• is directed by Section 203 of the new law to adopt a watershed restoration and enhancement plan by June 30, 2021.

The Department of Ecology offers free language services. We can provide information written in your preferred language and interpreters over the phone. For more information, please contact Stephanie Potts at 425 649-7138.

WRE Plan

The WRIA 9 Committee voted to approve the watershed plan on February 23, 2021. The final plan, appendices, and supporting resources are posted here:

• Final Approved Plan and Appendices (19 MB)
  
  • Final Approved Plan (3.5 MB)
  • Appendix A: References
  • Appendix B: Glossary
  • Appendix C: Committee Roster
  • Appendix D: Operating Principles
  • Appendix E: Subbasin Delineation Memo
  • Appendix F: Permit-Exempt Well Projections Memo
  • Appendix G: Consumptive Use Memo
  • Appendix H: Projects
  • Compendium

• WRIA 9 Committee brochure
• Streamflow program overview
• Final NEB guidance
• Streamflow Restoration Policy and Interpretive Statement

Meetings

This committee has until June 2021 to complete plans that estimate the 20 year consumptive use from new permit-exempt wells and identify projects to offset that consumptive use. The plans will need to meet net ecological benefit.

The committee approved the final plan in February 2021 and does not have additional meetings scheduled.

2021

February 23 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - WebEx Only

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary

2020

November 16 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - WebEx Only

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary

October 27 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - WebEx Only

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary

September 22 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - WebEx Only

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary

August 25 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - WebEx Only

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary

July 28 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - WebEx Only

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary

June 23 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - WebEx Only

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary

April 28 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - WebEx Only

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary
• Meeting Materials
  • Policy Recommendations from February Meeting
  • Water Offset Project Descriptions Template
  • Non-Acquisition Water Offset Projects Work Plan

February 25 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary
• Meeting Materials
  • Adaptive Management Discussion Guide
  • Ecology Memo re: WRE Plan Development, Review and Committee Approval

January 28 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168. 
This is a joint meeting with the Cedar-Sammamish (WRIA 8) Committee. 

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary
• Meeting Materials
  • Irrigated Area Comparability Study Memo
  • Policy and Regulatory Actions Discussion Guide
  • Consumptive Use Technical Memo - draft (v1/27)
  • Subbasin Technical Memo - draft (v1/27)
  • GeoEngineers - Estimating Water Offset from Habitat projects presentation*
  • LDC - Rural Development presentation*

2019

November 19 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. King County South Treatment Plant, 1200 Monster Rd SW, Renton, WA 98057.

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary
• Meeting Materials:
  • Projects Discussion Guide
  • Template WRE Plan Outline - draft
  • WRE Plan - Local Approval Process Form

October 22 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168.

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary
• Meeting Materials:
  • Consumptive Use Estimate Memo - Draft
  • Growth Projections Memo - Draft
  • Climate Change Discussion Guide
  • Project Screening Criteria Memo - Draft
  • Project Solicitation Handout

September 24 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168.

• Agenda
• Meeting summary
• Meeting Materials:
  • WRIA 9 Growth Projections spreadsheet
  • Growth projections methods summary
  • Growth projections maps
    • WRIA 9 Distribution of Projected Permit-Exempt Wells 2018 - 2038
    • WRIA 9 Permit Exempt Well Potential 
    • Web Map - under "Draft Growth Forecasts" layer
  • Net Ecological Benefit Guidance Overview - presentation
  • Salmon habitat restoration in WRIA 9 - presentation 

August No WREC Meeting

July 23 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Meeting and project site visits. Auburn City Hall, Council Chambers, 25 W Main St, Auburn, WA.

• Agenda
• Meeting Summary
• Meeting materials:
• Subbasin proposal for vote
• King County draft well projections for WRIA 9
• WRIA 9 King County Building Permits 2000-2017
• WRIA 9 King County Historic Growth Percentages
• Approved WRIA 9 subbasin map
• Eagle Lake Siphon Project – presentation

June 25 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave S, Tukwila, WA 98168.

• Agenda
• Meeting summary
• Meeting materials:
  • King County subbasin proposal
  • Water right acquisitions presentation
  • Water right acquisitions handout

May 28 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. King County South Treatment Plan, Black River Room, 1200 Monster Road S.W. Renton, WA 98507. This is a joint meeting with the Cedar-Sammamish (WRIA 8) Committee.

• Agenda
• Meeting summary
• Meeting materials:
  • Consumptive Use Discussion Guide
  • Updated committee calendar and proposed meeting schedule
  • Consumptive Water Use Estimates 
  • Growth Projections Discussion Guide 

April 23 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

• Agenda
• Meeting summary
• Meeting materials:
  • GeoEngineers web map
  • Subbasin proposal – presentation 
  • Subbasin proposal – map 
  • Methods for growth projections – presentation 
  • Reference maps:
    • Map of UGA and municipal watershed
    • Map of Ecology well logs for WRIA 9: 1998-2007 well log basin map and zoomed map and 2008-2018 well log basin map and zoomed map

March 26 

• Agenda
• meeting summary
• Meeting materials:
  • Updated committee calendar and proposed meeting schedule
  • Growth Management Act Planning in King County - presentation
  • King County Water Availability and Permitting Study
  • King County Water Availability and Permitting Study - presentation
  • King County Water Service Requirements

February 26 

• Agenda
• Meeting summary
• Approved Operating Principals
• Meeting materials:
  • Introduction to Hydrogeology
  • Introduction to Subbasins

January 22  

• Agenda
• Meeting summary
• Meeting materials:
  • DRAFT Proposed Timeline and Key Decisions
  • WREC plan components - presentation
  • Revised operating principles - draft for review (v011519)
  • Introduction to Instream Flows 

2018

December 11th

• Agenda
• Meeting summary
• Meeting materials:
  • Geography presentation
  • Operating principles - draft for review (v12/4/18)

October 29

• Agenda
• Meeting summary
• Meeting materials:
  • ESSB 6091 - Map
  • Focus on: New streamflow restoration law
  • WRIA 9 Duwamish-Green - Basin map
  • Presentation - RCW 90.94 Streamflow Restoration

Streamflow restoration implementation grants

We have launched a grant program for Streamflow Restoration implementation projects. These grants will focus on projects that improve streamflows and instream resources.

• Read more

Committee specific resource materials

• Committee Roster
• Approved and signed operating principles
• Watershed map
• Instream Flow Rule
• WRIA 9 WRE Committee Overview and Timeline
• WRE Plan Technical Memos
  • Subbasin Technical Memo (v8/20/20)
  • PE Well Projection Technical Memo (v11/16/20)
  • Consumptive Use Technical Memo (v11/17/20)

General information

• USGS: Streamflow Depletion by Wells
• Department of Ecology Streamflow Restoration Webpage
• Hirst v. Whatcom County
• Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6091
• RCW 90.94
• Case law
• Final Net Ecological Benefit Guidance
• Streamflow Restoration Policy and Interpretative Statement
• *Documents and presentations developed by external parties may not comply with accessibility requirements

Contact:

Stephanie Potts
Streamflow Restoration
stephanie.potts@ecy.wa.gov
425 649-7138