County could start water exchange for Sequim area
November 12th, 2009 - 2:49am
(Port Angeles) -- Clallam County officials are mulling over two proposals that could set up a market for water use in the Sequim Dungeness Valley.
Clallam County commissioners forwarded two proposals to staff this week that would set up a water exchange plan and implement it.
County Commissioner Steve Tharinger tells Newsradio 1450 KONP the county is using a 265-thousand dollar state grant to pay for the program.
He says in the next year he expects one of the companies will put together the mechanics of the water exchange. It could be functioning in 2011.
The water exchange would set up a "market" for water that is being used or available in the region. The state has been searching for ways to deal with streamflow issues in the Dungeness as the population in the valley continues to grow.
Tharinger says such an exchange could be one way to budget the use of water.
He says he thinks such an exchange may be aimed more at the larger water consumers such as water and irrigation companies. But Tharinger says its still unclear how the exchange mechanism might work for all water users.
The Washington Water Trust, which operates a similar exchange in Walla Walla and Regala Environmental Services both submitted proposals to set up and run the exchange this week.
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