(1) To
support the development of new water supplies in the Columbia
river and to protect instream flow, the department of ecology
shall work with all interested parties, including interested
county legislative authorities and watershed planning groups,
adjacent to the Columbia river, and affected tribal governments,
to develop a Columbia river water supply inventory and a
long-term water supply and demand forecast. The inventory must
include:
(a) A list of conservation projects that have been
implemented under this chapter and the amount of water
conservation they have achieved; and
(b) A list of potential water supply and storage projects in
the Columbia river basin, including estimates of:
(i) Cost per acre-foot;
(ii) Benefit to fish and other instream needs;
(iii) Benefit to out-of-stream needs; and
(iv) Environmental and cultural impacts.
(2) The department of ecology shall complete the first
Columbia river water supply inventory by November 15, 2006, and
shall update the inventory annually thereafter.
(3) The department of ecology shall complete the first
Columbia river long-term water supply and demand forecast by
November 15, 2006, and shall update the report every five years
thereafter.
[2006 c 6 § 5.]