Water-Right Lease Request Still Up in the Air

WALLA WALLA – The Department of Ecology has made no official decision yet regarding a request that the Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership be allowed to lease water from the Touchet Eastside-Westside Irrigation District temporarily. This request has been opposed by several groups locally.

“There are some inherent problems with what they’re asking Ecology to do,” said Eric Hartwig, regional water master for the Washington State Department of Ecology. “We received 14 official letters of protest to the application. We’re waiting to hear back from the irrigation district to see if they wa...