Are there any environmental benefits surrounding the water-right decision?
Since a 1980 Ecology rule closed the White River to new water-right allocations, PSE had to demonstrate that the Lake Tapps water-supply proposal would significantly benefit the environment and the public. This is called an “overriding concern for the public interest.” To satisfy this important legal requirement, the water-rights package Ecology approved stipulates PSE must: • Increase flows in the White River from February through April to help protect fish and improve water quality. • Reserve up to 16 million gallons of lake water a day to replace or supplement public-water supplies in streams and rivers in the region where current withdrawals contribute to chronic stream-flow problems that are harmful to fish. • Set aside 500 acres of streamside or adjacent lands in the White River watershed to support salmon and other wildlife.
