North Bend may explore more water rights options

Published 11:54 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

NORTH BEND – The North Bend City Council could begin looking into a system that would allow the transfer of what are essentially water rights certificates within the city to act as a kind of safety valve if a proposed water plan is delayed.

The city, which has been in a self-imposed water moratorium since 1999, is in the process of working with the state’s Department of Ecology to formulate a plan to gain additional water rights that would lift the building ban. That proposed plan involves the city essentially pumping water from the Snoqualmie River to be treated and sent to its customers and mitigating that take with water pumped from a city-owned well.

Recognizing that the plan has yet to be approved and could meet with some resistance from environmental groups and state Native American Indian tribes, Councilman Mark Sollitto suggested at a June 14 City Council meeting that the city seek an alternative “as a way to multitask and keep our options open.”

Sollitto suggested the city look into devising a plan that would allow those water rights currently not being used by property owners to be transferred to new projects.

“We need to keep all of our options open as long as possible,” said Sollitto.

Sollitto, who has supported all actions in the past regarding a possible water plan, said beginning the conversation of voluntarily giving up water rights is merely a precaution and that he still believes firmly in the city’s proposed plan.

“I want to get water rights. I wanted to get water rights yesterday,” said Sollitto.

According to Larry Stockton, community services director, there are about 160 water certificates potentially available in town, with almost all of them being tied up in two current commercial developments. That amount of certificates is certainly enough to get a handful of businesses up and running in North Bend, Stockton said.

As for the availability of those certificates, Stockton said many parties would not likely be ready to part with them. If a business has secured a set number of certificates but has yet to fill their space for rent due to the slow economy, those businesses are likely to hold on to the certificates until the market improves.

Although legalities of the plan would have to be approved by the city attorney, Stockton said another issue likely to arise if the subject is looked at is that the city is already utilizing more water than it is allowed, a problem that would be rectified with approval of the proposed plan. Stockton said there is a question of whether the city could actually issue water rights certificates because technically, the water is not available.

If water certificates of availability are returned to the city, they will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservations, he said.

Stockton said he is hopeful that the city’s water rights problem will be solved in the near future and that such a course of action will not have to be taken.

City officials have been hopeful that the plan could be approved next year and the moratorium lifted.

Councilman Bill Wittress, who has doubted aspects of the city’s water rights acquisition plan, said he was glad to hear that the group recognized another avenue should be considered.

No date has been set for discussion regarding the topic.

Travis Peterson can be reached at (425) 888-2311 or by e-mail at travis.peterson@valleyrecord.com.