We've got some very clear indications that there could be some water problems in the Spokane River. Concerned about the effect of aquifer withdrawals on flows in the Spokane River, Washington's Department of Ecology stopped issuing new water rights seven years ago. But those conservation efforts will be futile if they are not coordinated with Idaho, said Jani Gilbert, a Department of Ecology spokeswoman in Spokane. On the same day, Newport Northwest LLC, a Mercer Island, Wash., company, filed for water rights for a 1,300-megawatt plant. The plants use tremendous quantities of water to drive their turbines.
Natural gas produced at the plant turns one set of turbines.
The water is then used to cool those turbines, creating steam to drive a second set of turbines. But acquiring the water to run the plants is considerably easier in Idaho. The policy difference between the two states is illustrated by Newport Northwest, which plans to build plants in both states. At the Wallula, Wash., site, the company must spend millions of dollars to purchase existing water rights. But for the Rathdrum plant, capable of using 10 million gallons a day, the required fees are just enough to cover the state's filing expenses.