Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership

02/04/2020

The date and time have been secured for the travelling River Restoration Northwest film festival – it is set for 7:00pm on March 5th at Powerhouse Theater in Walla Walla. Ticket information can be found here: https://phtww.com/show/river-restoration-northwest-film-festival-2020/.

12/19/2019

The Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council is seeking a
WATERSHED RESTORATION SPECIALIST
STARTING SALARY: $21/hour, review after 90 days with possible rate increase
BENEFITS INCLUDE: Retirement plan, paid holidays, vacation, sick leave, and a flexible schedule
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Part-time (29 hours/week – possible increase of hours as funding allows)
CLOSING DATE: January 15, 2020

This position will identify and develop new fish passage and fish and wildlife habitat restoration opportunities. Implement grant-funded restoration projects from design through completion. Oversee existing projects in the Walla Walla basin. This position will manage projects including: fish passage assessment and construction projects; river, floodplain, wildlife, and riparian restoration projects. An overview of past WWBWC projects can be found at www.wwbwc.org . This position has the possibility of increasing to full-time subject to secured funding from state, federal, foundation, and local grants.

Please send a cover letter, resume and three professional references to:
Wendy Harris
Operations Manager, Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council
810 S. Main Street, Milton-Freewater, OR 97862
[email protected]

12/06/2019

The Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership is seeking applicants for open positions on the Board of Directors.
Three positions on the Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership Board will be subject to appointment for a two-year term beginning in February 2020. We are seeking volunteer applicants for the CITIZEN-AT-LARGE, ENVIRONMENTAL REPRESENTATIVE and WATER RIGHT HOLDER member positions. The organization, membership requirements, and application process are described below.
BACKGROUND. As defined in legislation, the Partnership’s nine-member Board includes six Board members from each of the planning area initiating entities: Walla Walla County, Columbia County, the City of Walla Walla, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Gardena Farms Irrigation District #13, and a representative jointly appointed by the Walla Walla County and Columbia Conservation Districts. In addition, the Board includes three at-large Board member positions representing water users, environmental interests, and all citizens. The three at-large Board positions are appointed by the six Board members from the initiating entities. All Board members serve a two-year term, assuming the authorities, duties, and responsibilities entailed in RWC 90.92.
MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS. Interested applicants for Board positions must meet the legislative requirements for membership, including:
• MUST be a resident of the planning area (see description of planning area below).
• MUST comply with provisions relevant to the specific desired position--holding a water right for the Water Rights Holder or representing a local resource or ecological interest for the Environmental Representative.
The Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership Planning Area comprises the Washington portion of the Walla Walla watershed, including the mainstem Walla Walla River, Mill Creek, and the Touchet River and their tributaries in parts of Walla Walla and Columbia counties. The Planning Area is defined as the intersection of Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 32 defined by the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the USGS Hydrological Unit Code (HUC) 17070102.
APPLICATION PROCESS: To be considered as an applicant for any at-large Board position, please submit a signed application no later than January 24, 2020. All eligible applications will be subject to review for appointment by the Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership. The Board and its staff or agents may request to conduct an interview or seek additional information from Board applicants. Applications will become public information upon receipt by the Partnership, and the receipt of a Board member application does not constitute an offer to serve or guarantee of appointment to the Board.

For more information and an application form go to: www.wallawallawatershed.org

Please submit your signed application materials to Chris Hyland at:

Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership
WWCC Water and Environmental Center
500 Tausick Way
Walla Walla, WA 99362

The Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership

10/28/2019

Chris saw the following article in the Seattle Times about water rights sales in the Tucannon Basin and thought you might be interested.

For investors, water rights are seen as an increasingly scarce and valuable commodity. But to Washington’s aging farmers, they’re valuable assets as the agricultural economy shifts beneath their feet.

04/19/2019

The bill to extend the Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership's authorization for two more years was signed into law by Gov. Inslee today. 4-19-2019

See article here:

Washington Gov. Inslee signed a bill into law Friday that will extend the Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership for two more years, after the bipartisan bill passed unanimously through both chambers.

01/28/2019

Walla Walla Community College Local Water Plan: Public Comment Period

The Partnership plans to submit a new local water plan before the Board at the March 5 meeting.
Pursuant to RCW 90.92, this plan will open for public comment for the 30-day period between January 31 and March 1, 2019. The full text of the plan can be found here.

https://www.wallawallawatershed.org/public-notice-feed/

If you'd like to comment, you have three options:

1. File a written comment with the Partnership office, at: Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership, Water and Environmental Center, Walla Walla Community College, 500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla, WA 99362.

2. Submit a document via email to staff, at [email protected].

3. Attend the Board meeting on March 5 and make your comment verbally.

These comments will be reviewed by the Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership Board as well as the Board’s technical advisory committee.

Public Announcements

12/10/2018

Request For Proposal
The Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership (Partnership) and the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council (Council) are conducting the Walla Walla Basin Integrated Flow Enhancement Study (Flow Study). The Flow Study is a vital component in a comprehensive Walla Walla River restoration program seeking to restore ecological functions to support spring Chinook and Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed steelhead and bull trout.
The Flow Study seeks to enhance stream flows while maintaining the long-term viability of water supplies for irrigated agriculture, residential, and urban use. The Flow Study will evaluate Walla Walla River flow enhancement scenarios and then select a scenario that achieves stream flow targets for implementation. The Partnership and Council have convened a steering committee to help guide the Flow Study from development through implementation. The steering committee has developed a Scope of Work that identifies stream flow targets and tasks to accomplish the Flow Study objective.
The Partnership is currently accepting proposals for project management and planning services to support the completion of the Flow Study. The application period ends 3:00 PM January 8th, 2019. There will be a pre-bid meeting December 17, 10 AM where questions may be asked regarding this contract.
For a full copy of the Request For Proposal and further details, please go to our website at

10/17/2018

Partnership press release:

PARTNERSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS HIGHLIGHTED IN
LEGISLATIVE REPORT AND UPCOMING MEETINGS

In the Walla Walla valley, the unique effort to locally manage water for people, farms, and fish has issued its third progress report to Washington lawmakers. The Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership (Partnership) completed its 2018 Report to the Legislature entitled “Walla Walla Pilot Local Water Management Program” highlighting accomplishments and documenting progress from 2015-2018.
The 2018 Report includes information on the Partnership’s progress in implementing programs to conserve water and preserve water rights under the 2009 authorizing legislation RCW 90.92. The Walla Walla Watershed is provided this unprecedented opportunity to solve local water management challenges in a new way, piloting a cooperative approach that includes local governance and flexible tools to address the complex and intertwined problems of low stream flows, endangered fish, and competing water demands.
The Partnership is will be presenting the report to the Washington State Legislature in Olympia in the near future (exact dates to be determined). The report and information on each of these meetings is available at www.wallawallawatershed.org.
Partnership programs have enjoyed eager adoption by water right holders. A total of over 150 water banking agreements and three Local Water Plans have been executed to-date, depositing 20,000 acre-feet annually of surface water and groundwater rights into the Partnership’s one-of-a-kind water bank. Additionally, we have begun a cooperative process with major water interests in the basin (including Oregon) to attempt to solve big-picture water supply problems for instream flow.
The Partnership works with local landowners and water right holders to evaluate options for participation in these programs and compensated trust water transactions. To review your water rights and find the Partnership program that can work best in your situation, contact the Partnership’s Executive Director, Mr. Chris Hyland at 509/524-5217 or [email protected].

The Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership

06/28/2018

Pierce Local Water Plan: Public Comment Period

The Partnership plans to submit a new local water plan before the Board at the August 7 meeting. Created in collaboration with Larry Pierce, the LWP moves place of use and point of diversion on two water rights, facilitating stream flow by allowing Pierce to draw water from a spot where it is more available and less critical.

Pursuant to RCW 90.92, this plan will open for public comment for the 30-day period between July 1 and July 31, 2018. The full text of the plan can be found here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=12XD2t6EI4gDgB-IFfMqU_8mnobePPdNh

If you'd like to comment, you have three options:

1. File a written comment with the Partnership office, at: Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership, Water and Environmental Center, Walla Walla Community College, 500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla, WA 99362.

2. Submit a document via email to staff, at [email protected].

3. Attend the Board meeting on August 7 and make your comment verbally.

These comments will be reviewed by the Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership Board as well as the Board’s technical advisory committee.

06/20/2018

BOARD MEETING TIME CHANGE!

The Partnership's July board meeting has been moved from Tuesday the 3rd to Tuesday the 10th to observe Independence Day. The meeting's time and location are unchanged: 7 pm at the Water Center at 500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla.

The public is still invited to attend and make comments.

05/24/2018

NEXT SPECIAL MEETING ALERT!

The Partnership's Board and Staff are hard at work on the Report to the Legislature for 2018. We'll be holding another special work meeting on June 19 at 6 pm at the Water Center (500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla, WA). Tom Tebb, a representative from the Department of Ecology based in Spokane, will be coming down to offer advice and assistance.

Like the previous special meetings, we will not be soliciting public comments, though the public is still welcome to attend. The meeting will continue until around 8 pm.

05/14/2018

NOTICE OF PARTNERSHIP SPECIAL BOARD MEETING:

Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership's next board working session on the Report to the Legislature will be held Wednesday, May 23, from 6 to 8 pm. The location will again be the Water and Environmental Center at 500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla, WA.

This will be another working session, dedicated to changes and improvements to the RTL draft, so public comments will not be solicited. However, the meeting will be open to the public, so feel free to observe the process and share your views with the Partnership in other venues.