EPHRATA  - Alternate sites to the proposed White River hatchery project were discussed by representatives of Grant County PUD and Chelan County.

No decisions changing the site were made, but Grant PUD staff is re-examining its information about other sites, said Jeff Grizzel, the PUD's natural resources director, on Monday.

Grant PUD is trying to build a spring acclimation Chinook facility along the White River in Chelan County and is going through the federal preemption process to bypass state and local laws.

It is because Chelan County Hearing Examiner Andrew Kottkamp denied all construction permits for the project.

To work toward a solution, Grant PUD commission president Tom Flint, the district's general manager, Tim Culbertson, Chuck Berrie, the district's assistant general manager and Grizzel, recently met with Chelan County commissioner Ron Walter.

Flint described the discussion as "in-depth."

He said he thought Walter was concerned the district moved on with the federal preemption process and was going around Chelan County's normal planning process.

Flint said the Grant PUD group told Walter there allegedly wasn't any hint of Chelan County's planning department having problems with the White River project until Grant PUD's permits were rejected.

At the end of the meeting, Grant PUD representatives told Walter they would keep him in the loop and look again at two of his alternate site suggestions.

Flint said one or both of the sites may be outside the floodplain, which complicates the planning process.

Grizzel said it may be true with one site.

The bridge site is a "politically sensitive" site, as other entities are interested in the area, he explained.

He said he thinks the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust still wants to acquire the property.

"It's politics, not position, it seems to me," Grant PUD commissioner Dale Walker said. Flint said the Chelan County Planning Department was trying to redo their regulations for land use planning.

The information he received had not been redone since 1972 and Flint thought some of the issues were due to codes not being up-to-date, he said.

Grizzel said he used to believe that, but later realized with updates the project wouldn't have been allowed.

Walters mentioned a site at Tall Timber and a gravel site at Two Rivers, Grizzel said.

Shannon Lowry, Grant PUD's fisheries program supervisor, said seven miles of road is needed for the Two Rivers site, which is two-thirds to one mile from the intake location. The district would still need to install an intake on the bridge site.

Allred said the feds are going to force the district to build the hatchery where it doesn't want to.

He said Grant PUD caught Chelan County off-guard.

"We're in their county, we  need to live by their rules," Allred said.

Flint said he came away from the meeting with the understanding that no matter where they built, Chelan County would not like it.

"We might as well try to make the best of where we're at now and move forward," Flint said.

Walker said he would be interested in a gravel site, not a flood plain.

He wants to learn more about the water requirement for an acclimation pond, versus a hatchery.

Grant PUD can be fined $10,000 per day for not complying with its federal license requirements for the Priest Rapids Project. One of the terms includes building the hatchery.