Water storage heats up

"Years of drought and predictions of climate uncertainty" set the backdrop for important water-storage studies under way in Eastern Washington.

The words describing the conditions that inspire the hunt for more storage belong to Jay Manning, director of the state Department of Ecology. Last year, the Legislature committed $216 million to wiser use of the Columbia River's precious resource. Twenty-five people from diverse professional, political and environmental backgrounds were recently named to a policy advisory group to help Ecology carry out what the Legislature directed.

Gov. Chris Gregoire argues that certainty of water supply can unlock a billion dollars of economic potential on the dry side of the state.

A primary goal is to capture and hold more water in storage for the seasonal benefit of fish, agriculture, cities, industry and power generation. Predictably, each has its own conflicting schedule of storage and release demands.

Washington might never have imagined another dam being built, but population growth, fish troubles, high-value farm crops and global warming are changing the discussion.