Looking for public input

COLUMBIA BASIN - Lawmakers are moving forward with a groundwater study in Kittitas County.

Rep. Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum and Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, secured $600,000 to study groundwater withdrawals in Kittitas County. A memorandum of agreement must be reached between the county and the state Department of Ecology before the funds are used. The agreement is used to establish guidelines to manage exempt well use.

The process to approve the draft is under way.

The draft is available at www.co.kittitas.wa.us/cds/current.

The public can comment about the drafts at two meetings next week. The first meeting is scheduled for Monday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Walter Strom Middle School in Cle Elum. The second meeting is slated for Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Hal Holmes Community Center in Ellensburg.

Hinkle and Warnick plan to attend both meetings.

"Getting accurate information is critical to water management in our counties' future," Hinkle said. "We must also protect senior water rights first while still meeting our economic development goals."

Warnick said she encourages citizens to attend the meetings to foster an informed decision concerning the memorandum of agreement.