Walla Walla River will again be a legislative effort by Hansell
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
ATHENA – State Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Athena) will try again in the 2024 session to start the groundwork establishing a consortium to oversee water flows on the Walla Walla River. He said that to restore fish to that area the states of Oregon and Washington need to work together with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The bill was close to passage in the 2023 session.
“It’s the only river on the main stem of the Columbia River where the headwaters are in Oregon, but the mouth is in Washington,” he said.
Hansell said that while Oregon has been conserving water for fish restoration, Washington is choosing not to do so.
“Any water we conserve in the river, which we’ve done quite a bit of, we lose jurisdiction and ownership of when it crosses the state line,” he said. “Washington doesn’t have to pay any attention.”
The Republican from Athena said that instead, the additional water is boosting irrigation in the Touchet-Lowden area.
“It never gets to the mouth,” Hansell said. “If it doesn’t get to the mouth, it doesn’t help fish restoration.” Hansell’s bill would form a compact with Washington and CTUIR to have a basin-wide approach to water management. He said the only reason he would not introduce the bill again is if it’s determined that the same compact could be reached by working directly with the office of Gov. Tina Kotek.
