Workshops scheduled about Columbia water

OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology has scheduled public workshops in September for discussion of a DOE study of Columbia River water flows.

How much water will be needed to support communities, farms and fish in the Columbia Basin, and where it will come from, is the focus of a nearly complete report.

This study is done every five years and passed on to the state legislature. The latest study is due there on Nov. 15.

The workshops are slated for Richland on Sept. 7, Wenatchee on Sept. 8 and Spokane on Sept. 9. You can get a report and further information at www.ecy.wa.gov.

Agriculture is the largest user of Columbia River water, according to the DOE. The DOE predicts that by 2030 diversions for cities and communities will increase by 24 percent.

- Staff report