Spring 2007 Newsletter

TWIN LAKES AQUIFER COALITION
April 15, 2007 News Letter 

Last year at this time we were in a deadlock with no clear direction on how to move forward.  Senator Linda Evans Parlette stepped in on our behalf making it known to Department of Ecology (DOE) and State Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) that the state legislature had approved funding for the restoration of Twin Lakes  and the associated aquifer which mandated that DOE move forward on using the monies we received to either process a water right for the project or use the money to complete the project.  In otherwards DOE had to move forward and resolve the issues.

This resulted in a meeting with Derek Sandison of DOE where TLAC in association with DOE mapped out a plan to resolve the issues.  DOE decided that it would be too costly to process all the water right applications ahead of us, so it was decided that we would choose a mutually acceptable consulting firm to see if the water for the project could be obtained under an environmental benefit.  Under Washington State water law a provision is provided where projects with an environmental benefit can obtain water for such a project ahead of all other applicants.  Aspect Consulting was chosen to answer DOE’s main areas of concern.  These were the following five areas:

1. Determine if the proposed source of water between the two hatcheries on Sun Mountain properties is adequate and that the water used for the project doesn’t affect hatchery operations.
2. Determine if there is any consumptive use of water by future domestic wells and evaporation from the surface of the lakes.
3. Determine if water added to Barnsley Lake does in fact contribute to the lake levels in Twin Lakes.  Associated with this question does the water flow from Barnsley Lake, to Twin Lakes and eventually make its way back to the Methow?  If not where does the water go?
4. Determine how much water does return to the Methow, where it returns and the time frame.
5. Will future domestic wells have a significant impact on the water used to augment the aquifer and the lakes.

Aspect Consulting did their field work for the proposed analysis last fall as some of you participated in the well measurement program will remember.  The draft report was completed in December.  Comments were supplied by DOE and TLAC by February 2, 2007.  Essentially the report gave some surprising results in our favor.  Future buildout on properties would not result in significant new domestic use of water from the aquifer and that the aquifer would provide enough water for everyone with or without the Twin Lakes project.  Thus new wells could not be considered a consumptive use affecting the project.  The direction of water flow in the aquifer is northward from Big Twin Lake towards Barnslely Lake and discharges back into the Methow River near where we take the water to restore the lakes.  This means there is no bypass reach which would be caused if the water discharged into the Methow near the high school.  The only water lost is through evaporation from the lakes otherwise all water returns to the Methow.  The water source between the hatcheries is adequate and using the quantities of water needed for the project does not impact either hatchery. 

Upon sharing this with our state legislators, Senator Parlette and Morton, both were quit happy with our progress….we have essentially forced DOE to face their objections and most have been answered in our favor. 

The TLAC board is now seeking refinements on the draft report and answers to issues that apply to the mutual interests of those who will benefit from the restored aquifer.  These include:

1. Why evaporation is considered a consumptive use that we have to mitigate for?
2. If the project is water budget neutral why do water withdrawals have to be subject to flows set by WDFW?  Where do they get the authority to set such flows?
3. Would it not be best for the lakes and aquifer to have the water introduced over the same period as when the ditch formerly provided the water through leakage?
4. Is it not better to have some ground water injection points rather than just dumping all the water into Big Twin?

 Essentially, progress is being made and we have won some key points as well as learned more about how the aquifer works.  Updates will follow as more information becomes available.

Sincerely,

TLAC Board

Dick Ewing, Chair
Lori Triplett, Secretary
Ed Rhinehart, Treasurer
Ben Dennis
Ben Johnson/Jeanne Johnson
Steve Smith
Fred Noyes