Senate capital budget includes major funding for Yakima Basin

David Lester

Yakima Herald April 10, 2013


Efforts to advance the Yakima River Basin’s water needs received a boost from the state Senate on Tuesday with a proposed capital budget that includes more than $134 million for two basin projects.

The major feature of what is known as the integrated plan is $99 million to purchase 50,000 acres in the Teanaway drainage east of Cle Elum, which would preserve land in the basin watershed and improve water quality.

In addition, more than $32 million is included to finance work on water storage, fish passage and habitat protections, water conservation, water banking and changes in the operation of the basin storage and delivery  (read full story)

“ A number of other groups, led by the Sierra Club, Alpine Lakes Protection Society and Friends of Bumping Lake, oppose the storage elements, saying they are too expensive and would damage old-growth timber and recreation at Bumping Lake. ”