Water Rights Acquisition Project
City of Olympia Lacey & Yelm Deschutes River
General Information
The Cities of Olympia, Lacey and Yelm, Washington ("Cities") are seeking to purchase water rights in the Deschutes River Basin. The Cities would use the water rights to meet the Washington Department of Ecology's mitigation requirements for the additional groundwater withdrawals in the McAllister and Yelm subbasins of the Nisqually River Watershed. These are the subbasins in the Nisqually Watershed where the cities of Olympia, Lacey and Yelm pump most of their water. The additional withdrawal of groundwater in the McAllister and Yelm subbasins may create some adverse effects on the Deschutes River water level. WestWater Research is assisting the Cities in their efforts to acquire Deschutes Basin water rights and is also available to assist any potential seller.
Studies conducted by the Cities estimate that the additional withdrawals may slightly impact the water level of the Deschutes River. To prevent this potential effect, the Cities are seeking to purchase existing water rights within the Deschutes Basin. The water that the Cities acquire will mitigate the possible effects of pumping additional groundwater on the river level.
What is Mitigation?
The term 'mitigation' is defined as a way to moderate or replace, in this case, the effects of pumping groundwater from the McAllister and Yelm subbasins on the Deschutes River. The Washington Department of Ecology requires cities and others who request large water rights to mitigate adverse effects of their new water sources on surrounding surface water bodies. The Cities' preferred alternative to mitigate these possible effects on the Deschutes River is to purchase water rights connected to the Deschutes River.
How Much Water Will the Cities Need to Purchase?
Early estimates indicate the additional groundwater withdrawals could reduce the flow in the Deschutes River by 1.95 cubic feet per second (cfs) during peak pumping periods. The Deschutes flows at an average rate of 97 cfs at the Tumwater gage during the summer months of August and September. The Cities are seeking to purchase a total of 1.95 cfs in water rights to meet the mitigation needs required by the State of Washington.
How Much Will the Cities Pay Water Right Holders?
The price will be based on fair market value. The Cities will consider all offers and have not established a fixed price. Values will be established during negotiations between the water right holder and the Cities. Price will be based on a number of factors including benefits the water right provides to the Deschutes River, the location of the water right, the quantity of water available for sale, and the age and use of the water right. WestWater Research maintains a comprehensive database of water right transactions in the state, including the Deschutes Basin area, and will be able to assist landowners in determining the quantity of water they have available to sell.
What Type of Water Rights are the Cities Interested in Purchasing?
The Cities are interested in any water right located in the general vicinity of the Deschutes River. This includes groundwater rights located near the river, and surface water rights that originate in the Deschutes River or its tributary streams. Additional research will determine if a water right can satisfy the Cities' mitigation requirements. Some of these requirements are:
- The water right must have been used at least once in the last five years.
- No period of five consecutive years has passed without water use on the property since the water right was issued.
- The water right must be within the Deschutes Basin if it is a surface water right, and must be within hydrologic connection to the Deschutes River or its tributaries if it is a groundwater right.
Interested Parties
The Cities would like to hear from anyone holding a water right in the Deschutes Basin who is interested in learning more about a possible sale of their water right to the Cities. Please contact Ryland Moore, Transaction Manager for WestWater Research, at 360-695-5233 for more information or to schedule an informational meeting. WestWater is available to assist you, at no expense, with researching and gathering water rights information and documents. Some of the information that WestWater staff will need can be found on our Landowner Checklist. This information will allow WestWater Research to better help landowners determine how much water they have available to sell.
To learn more about the project, please view the following links: