WAC 173-124-010   Background.  (1) On March 1, 1969, the department of water resources promulgated WAC 508-14-010 to curtail further groundwater development in a defined area of the Columbia Basin, referred to as the "Quincy Basin," pending the outcome of detailed groundwater investigations to determine if further appropriation of public groundwaters in this area should be allowed.

     (2) The extensive investigation program was to be completed no later than December 31, 1972, and thereafter procedures would be developed to insure proper allocation and management of the Quincy Basin groundwater resource.

     (3) Since the effective date of WAC 508-14-010, all applications to appropriate groundwater in the defined Quincy Basin have been held in abeyance pending the outcome of the groundwater investigations.

     (4) As part of the investigation program a digital groundwater model has been developed to analyze groundwater conditions in most of the Columbia Basin including the Quincy Basin.

     (5) Through use of this groundwater model it has been possible to define with reasonable accuracy the extent of a practical groundwater management unit in the Quincy Basin area.



[Order 72-24, § 173-124-010, filed 1/15/73.]