Yakima River Basin Programmatic EIS

This integrated plan provides a sustainable approach to water resource management issues that have been contested for decades. The 30-year water resiliency plan aims to protect and enhance fish and natural resources, improve water availability and reliability, and prepare for the effects of climate change.

ESA worked with the Washington State Department of Ecology, Bureau of Reclamation, and a group of stakeholders to develop the integrated plan and prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). It includes seven elements to improve water supply for irrigation and fish habitat: reservoir fish passage, structural and operational changes, surface water storage, groundwater storage, habitat protection and enhancement, enhanced water conservation, and water marketing.

ESA worked with the Department of Ecology to develop a strategy for meeting the requirements of both the national and state environmental policy acts (NEPA and SEPA) and to efficiently evaluate the impacts of a wide range of projects. The integrated plan is being implemented in phases, with projects to address each of the seven elements.