As one of Governor Locke s three priorities, water reform would appear to have some promise in the 2001 Legislative Session. It encourages waste, does not differentiate between uses, and fails to recognize environmental values. The historical emphasis on putting water to use offstream without concern for protection of instream resources is a shortcoming of the system that has only started being addressed in the last thirty years. The hope is to generate common ground on key features of water reform. The current administration wants to delegate additional authority over water decisions to these county-controlled boards that have little expertise and strong parochialism.
Current law allows for WCBAs to process a limited amount of water transfers pending state approval.
Granting the boards more authority threatens to undermine the state s role and protection of the broader state interest. Cities and big utilities have been clamoring for more certainty and flexibility in how they manage water, citing the need to serve a growing populace. Certainty for offstream uses should not be given at the expense of increased vulnerability for instream uses. Some additional flexibility may be appropriate providing that stream flow protections are in place and conservation practices including use of reclaimed water are being implemented. This clearly raises environmental concerns.