Polk County approves IGA with Independence, Monmouth to study regional Willamette intake

Polk County commissioners on Tuesday approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the cities of Independence and Monmouth to study a regionally sized intake on the Willamette River and help preserve Polk County’s existing Willamette water right.

The IGA, approved unanimously on a motion directing county counsel to finalize the agreement for signature, funds a phase‑1 technical study to evaluate whether a shared intake or rate collector would work for the county and neighboring cities and sets a governance and cost‑share framework for further work if the study advances.

County staff told commissioners the county’s Willamette permit — obtained to address projected water deficits identified in an early 2000s study — expires in 2030 and must be put to beneficial use or extended. "My recommendation is that you, approve the IGA, with you leaving some latitude for our legal counsel to make technical legal changes without changing the substantive matter of the IGA," said Austin Strossen, the county presenter, describing the staff recommendation and next steps.

The IGA covers an initial, jointly funded Phase 1 study that GSI, a Corvallis‑based water consulting firm retained by the county, will help complete. Phase 1 will examine feasibility, costs, environmental issues and whether a regional intake should be a rate collector or a direct Willamette intake sized to serve Polk County’s water right plus Independence’s and Monmouth’s Willamette rights and potential purchases such as from Adair. The draft agreement includes an estimate of Phase 1 costs plus a 10 percent contingency. County staff said GSI believes Phase 1 work would support a later permit extension request but that Polk County cannot formally seek an extension for its permit until one year before the 2030 expiration.

Commissioners pressed for clarifications about the steps and potential county commitments. Strossen said Polk County’s likely role is limited to preserving the water right and cost‑sharing the study phase; the county does not currently plan to operate a surface water treatment and distribution system. "We would make our water right available in some meaningful way at some point in the future," Strossen said, and added the county could opt out after Phase 1 if the results were not satisfactory.

Commissioner Pope and others praised staff work and federal grant support used on years of water planning; commissioners noted the project aims to create a bona fide regional proposal that better positions the partners for state and federal grant funding for later construction, which county leaders said would amount to millions of dollars. The board also heard staff say earlier studies into storage alternatives had been set aside after findings that building impoundments would risk fish takes, leading the county to focus on the Willamette.

The board approved the IGA by unanimous voice vote and directed county counsel to work with city attorneys to finalize the document for placement on a consent calendar. Chair (name not specified) characterized the item as core county work. "This is what county government is supposed to do," the chair said during deliberations.

Votes at a glance: The board also took two routine votes at the start of the meeting: unanimous approval of the day’s agenda and unanimous approval of the June 17 minutes. All three votes were recorded as unanimous "ayes." The IGA vote included the directive that county counsel finalize the agreement for signature.

What happens next: If the board signs the IGA, participating jurisdictions will complete Phase 1 technical work; if Phase 1 supports moving forward, Phase 2 would address environmental permitting and be the stage at which the county would consider requesting a permit extension and make larger commitments toward construction and permitting. Staff said timeline and exact costs could change as environmental permitting and federal processes evolve.

Context: Polk County has invested in water planning for more than two decades, including grants from the Oregon Water Resources Department, and county staff estimate roughly $500,000 has been spent on studies to date. The county retained GSI and other consultants in 2021 and again in 2024 to complete an IGA and study options for a regional intake.