Kittitas County to transfer water-right asset from Solid Waste to Public Works for water banking use

Kittitas County commissioners authorized a transfer of a water-right asset from the county's Solid Waste Department to Public Works on May 20, enabling the county to use the right in its water-banking program.

Public Works staff said the county received Department of Ecology grant funding to move the asset into Public Works. The water right has been through Ecology’s change process to allow its reuse for in-stream flow and mitigation rather than irrigation at the former site. “At this point, we require direction for, the water right asset to come to us. We will then pay Patty a million a little bit over a million of the value of that water right, and then we deed that over to the Department of Ecology so that it can be managed through a water bank,” the presenter said.

The board approved a resolution to authorize the transfer of water right S 4-83608-J (as described in the meeting record) from Solid Waste to Public Works and authorized signatures on the related claim deed and real estate excise tax affidavit as part of the consent agenda. The transcript records that the county will pay a sum described during the meeting as “a little bit over a million” but does not show a precise dollar figure or a written purchase agreement in the public discussion.

Staff did not provide in-meeting detail about the specific mechanics of the payment, the recipient named as “Patty,” or the timeframe for deeding the water-right to Ecology beyond the steps summarized above.