The Chehalis Basin Partnership

Citizens

Stakeholders

Tribes

Cities

Counties

Water Districts

State Agencies and

Federal Agencies—

 Working together to responsibly manage our water resources in the Chehalis Basin

 

 

The Chehalis Basin:

 

If you live near a stream, large or small, that eventually runs into the Chehalis River, you live in the Chehalis Basin.  The Basin spreads from the headwaters near Pe Ell, up to the reaches of the Humptulips River in the Olympics, and into Grays Harbor.  It includes parts of eight different counties (Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Thurston, and Wahkiakum) and is one of the largest watersheds in Washington.

 

The Chehalis Basin includes many different kinds of land use, from wide-open agricultural fields, to cities and towns, to private and industrial forests.

 

Chehalis Basin citizens are concerned about issues such as flooding and whether there will be enough water for growth, pure water for drinking, and cold, clean water for fish.

 

Our Mission:

The mission of the Chehalis Basin Partnership (Partnership) is to coordinate local, tribal, state, federal, and private efforts to reduce the effects of flooding, enhance fish resources, improve recreational opportunities, protect and restore water quality, protect surface water flow and ground water resources, protect recognized beneficial human uses of surface and ground water while at all times recognizing the relationship of these issues to the economic health and sustainability of the basin.  This mission statement was officially adopted as part of the Intergovernmental Agreement that established the Partnership. 

Our Vision:

The first formal meeting of the Chehalis Basin Council-the group that would eventually become the Partnership- took place January 16, 1997.  This group’s vision: 

“The Chehalis Basin Council serves in an educational and advisory capacity to help local governments, tribes, and other interests collectively manage natural resources in a more comprehensive and coordinated way.  The goal is to improve the environmental, social, and economic health of the Chehalis Watershed.

Participants seek to take greater control over their own destiny through collaboration, advocacy, education, and stewardship.  A central goal is to create more effective working relationships between governments (cities, counties, tribes, state, and federal), community leaders (business, agriculture, environment, timber, and recreation), and citizens.  The council will also serve as a forum for new approaches and ideas.”

 

Our Mandates:

 

The 1998 Legislature passed the Watershed Management Act (Chapter 90.82 RCW) to provide a framework for local citizens, interest groups, and government organizations to work collaboratively to identify and solve water-related issues. 

 

The planning responsibility of the Partnership under this chapter must provide for a process to allow the local citizens within the basin to join together in an effort to assess the status of the water resources and determine how best to manage the water resources to balance the competing resource demands for the basin.

 

Grays Harbor County is designated lead agency and fiscal agent for the Partnership. 

 

Accompanying this mandate is the development of a watershed management plan.  According to this chapter, the Partnership must adopt a Watershed Management Plan before October 31, 2003.  Recently the

Partnership developed and adopted a plan mission statement and goals.

 The mission statement is as follows: “A management plan that will result in effective, economical, and equitable management of the water in the Chehalis Basin to sustain viable and healthy communities and habitat conditions necessary for native fish.”

 

In addition, in 1998, the Legislature passed the Salmon Recovery Planning Act (Chapter 77.85 RCW).  This chapter established a structure for the coordinated delivery of local, state, and federal assistance to communities for habitat projects that will assist in the recovery and enhancement of salmon stocks.

 

The members of the Partnership designated Grays Harbor County as the “lead entity” in the salmon recovery planning process.  The Partnership created a salmon habitat restoration strategy for the Basin to assist in prioritizing habitat projects to recommend for state and federal assistance. 

 

Citizen Involvement:

 

The Board of County Commissioners from each county appointed four citizens to serve on the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC reviews Partnership work products, may make recommendations to the Partnership, and host informational presentations by local, state, and federal experts on watershed issues.  CAC meetings are open to all interested parties.

 

Partnership Members:

 

The Partnership generally meets the fourth Friday of each month at the Lucky Eagle Casino in Oakville from 9 am to 11:30 am.  All meetings are open to the public.

For information about the Partnership, contact Lee Napier, 1.800.230.1638 or Lnapier@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.