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Fairgrounds well yields low; county weighs decommissioning hand‑dug well and reallocating water rights
Summary
County staff reported low yields from a test hole at the fairgrounds, discussed decommissioning a failing hand‑dug well, and outlined options to transfer water right point‑of‑withdrawal to a new well while keeping domestic supply available.
County staff provided an extended briefing on well testing, water rights and potential next steps for the Okanogan County fairgrounds.
Staff reported a test well drilled to about 70 feet produced only about two gallons per minute and appears to have encountered clay; other nearby wells at similar depths have significantly better flow, so the team suspects the drill may have missed a pocket. Drillers plan to pull casing and pause at shallower intervals (e.g., 60, 80, 90 feet) to see if yield improves.
The board and staff discussed decommissioning a failing hand‑dug well on the property and whether to transfer the county’s water right point‑of‑withdrawal to a newly developed well. Staff described three existing water rights in the relevant quarter‑section: two rights that cover the area near the wells (one with 80 acre‑feet / 80 gpm characteristics, another with 90 gpm / 90 acre‑feet) and a third right located farther south. They explained that decommissioning the hand‑dug well would likely be required only if the Department of Ecology determined the new well’s point of withdrawal conflicted with permit limits or required consolidation.
Staff said it is likely possible under Washington Department of Ecology practice to change the point of withdrawal and to have multiple points of withdrawal for a single water right, provided the total authorized withdrawal limits are respected. The county plans to label the new well as a domestic well for the purpose of a domestic‑well grant; staff indicated that if the new well produces more water, they would want to associate the larger irrigation right with the new well while keeping domestic withdrawals available through existing wells.
Staff recommended decommissioning the collapsed hand‑dug well and retaining at least one existing well as a domestic source while using a new, higher‑capacity well for irrigation. The commissioners asked staff to check Department of Ecology rules about point‑of‑withdrawal changes and to confirm whether decommissioning one or more wells would affect their water rights. No formal county action was taken at the meeting; staff said they will follow up with DOE and TDNH contractors on scope and pump testing.
