There are sixty-two (62) main watersheds designated in Washington State.  These watersheds are called Water Resource Inventory Areas or WRIAs for short.  The Colville River Watershed has been identified as the 59^th watershed, or ‘WRIA 59’. 

The WRIA 59 Colville River and Tributaries Toe-Width Assessment Report was released on January 27, 2009.  Copies of the final report are available for viewing below: 

 FINAL REPORT

Appendix A

Appendix B

 Hard copies and/or CDs will also be available, at cost, at the Stevens County Watershed Planning Office, located in the basement of the Stevens County Courthouse Annex.

 For further information, please contact Linda Kiefer at (509) 685-2832.

For information on upcoming watershed meetings and other local water resource activities, please contact the Stevens County Watershed Planning Office at (509) 685-2832, or send an e-mail to: lkiefer@co.stevens.wa.us

WRIA 59 WATERSHED PLANNING REPORTS:

The following WRIA 59 Watershed Plans and Technical Reports were developed during the past eight years for the Colville River Watershed, under the RCW 90.82 Watershed Planning Act:

WRIA 59 Water Resource Management Board:

WRIA 59 Watershed Management Partnership:

2009 Water Resource Implementation TASKs:

The Instream Flow Project began in 2006, first as an instream flow study to quantify the flows of the Colville River and 19 prioritized tributaries.  The 2006 Instream Flow Study was completed by HDR Engineering Inc.  In 2008, an additional stream study was completed by EES Consulting, using the Toe-Width Method.  The WRIA 59 Toe-Width Analysis Report will be used by the WRIA 59 Board to begin negotiating instream flows on those waterways with Ecology and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.  The negotiations will take place during the first three months in 2009.  The results of the negotiations will be incorporated into a draft rule change, to support water resource management as outlined in the Watershed Plan and Detailed Implementation Plan.

Task #2 - Finalize MOA Between WRIA 59 WMP/Board and Dept. of Ecology:

The development of the WRIA 59 Stream Monitoring Network involved an extensive three-phase stream gauge project.  The goal of this project is to provide critical stream flow data to help with instream flow rule development preparation, along with water quality and quantity assessments.  The flow data, when collected on an ongoing basis, will help to establish a credible baseline of flow information – a necessary tool for ongoing water supply management within the Colville River Watershed.

 The final Phase 3 of this project is nearing completion.  Under an interlocal agreement with Stevens County, the Stevens County Conservation District has completed installation of the new gauges, and are in the process of developing rating curves for each gauge.   The results of the calibrated rating curve, along with electronic data files, will be presented to the WRIA 59 Board and Ecology in June 2009.

In the last 38 years, the population of Stevens County has more than doubled.  When considering this rate of growth, together with the fact that the Colville River Watershed has been a ‘closed watershed’ for new water allocations since 1977, planning for future water supplies is critical for all who reside within the Colville River Watershed.  Therefore, the WRIA 59 Water Resource Management Board (WRIA 59 Board) has placed a high priority on the research and development of water supplies to meet the current and future growth and economic needs of this area.

 Construction of multiple water storage projects, together with the ability to obtain timely new water right permits, temporary permits, and/or water rights transfers from the stored water will all play important rolls in providing the necessary water supplies to support the rural families, farms, businesses, industries, and cities within the watershed.  Some of the types of storage projects being considered have included small to medium sized ponds with seasonal storage, water storage with multipurpose uses such as hydropower, infiltration trenches, and aquifer storage and recharge projects.

Mill Creek Water Storage Feasibility Study Underway:

Request for New Water Storage Project Proposals:

The WRIA 59 Board is researching multiple water storage projects to help meet the future water needs of the Colville River Watershed.  Over the next eight months, the WRIA 59 Board will be developing a Water Storage Project Database, to help track and match up water storage projects proposals with grant funding as funding becomes available.  Anyone interested in submitting potential water storage project ideas for consideration or to learn more about local watershed planning efforts are encouraged to contact the Stevens County Watershed Planning Office at (509) 685-2832, or at the Courthouse Annex Building, located at 215 South Oak Street in Colville.