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Ellensburg to study aquifer storage and recovery as Yakima Basin drought continues
Summary
Staff described ongoing drought and an October Ecology curtailment for surface water, noted groundwater was not curtailed but hydrologically linked, and said the city has $180,000 in Ecology grant funds for 2026–27 to advance ASR feasibility and prepare for a potential pilot.
City staff used the Dec. 1 study session to discuss drought impacts, regulatory curtailments and next steps toward aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) planning.
Rebecca Springer reviewed 2025 drought conditions in the Yakima Basin and said Ecology issued curtailment orders on Oct. 6 for senior irrigation rights; she reported the city’s groundwater sources were not curtailed but cautioned that groundwater and surface water are hydrologically linked. "That doesn't mean we're not still in a drought," Springer said, noting staff implemented immediate conservation measures and asked for public participation in conservation.
Springer and other staff described a planned effort to assess ASR feasibility: the city has $180,000 in Ecology grant funding for 2026–27, including about $30,000 rolled forward from a previous ASR study, and plans to use the funds to finish the study and prepare for a pilot. Staff also described continued leak detection, public outreach on water use efficiency and a proposed conservation demonstration garden to show drought-tolerant landscaping.
No formal policy or regulatory action was taken at the session; staff said the ASR work and outreach will continue through 2026 and 2027 and will inform future project and budget decisions.
