Why a Record-Breaking Winter Doesn’t Solve Western Water Issues

Did this year’s record-breaking snowpack officially end the megadrought? (Spoiler alert: it did not.) What solutions exist to face the challenges of western water management?

 Animas River in Durango, Colorado flowing in May 2023

A Record-breaking Winter in Western US

It’s no secret that winter 2022/2023 was exceptionally snowy, and - quite literally - record-breaking in the western US. Throughout the winter we read news headlines that quickly progressed from “epic snow year” to “potentially record-shattering” and finally to “largest-ever snowpack”. These bold headlines in the media were validated by the US National Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) SNOTEL network, which revealed that  snow water equivalent (SWE) values sky-rocketed well above normal in nearly all western US basins. This positive outlook continues through late spring for southern states in the west — the snapshot from late May shows an above-normal snowpack for many basins in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.

Western US Snow Water Equivalent values are above normal for southern states in the West and below normal for northern states.

Digging Out From a Big Hole

This prodigious snowpack couldn’t have come at a more desperate time. Last summer, drought conditions across the western US reached all-time severity with numerous regions reaching D3 (Extreme) and D4 (Exceptional) drought stages. Many states experienced major losses to crops and pastures, and numerous water shortages and restrictions were put into place. With winter 2023 in the rear view mirror and summer just ahead, it’s difficult to imagine that, in just a few months’ time, much of the western US will return to a dry, drought-stricken landscape, but unfortunately, that’s the reality we face. Even a record-breaking snowpack cannot make up for numerous years of back-to-back drought conditions.

The tension created between the ongoing drought and this year’s snowfall demonstrates the challenges of western water management and how one good snow year can create an illusion of water security.

The Endless Winter Fights Back

While this extraordinary winter won’t completely erase the megadrought, the short-term drought outlook has improved significantly.  A drought summary posted by the National Drought Mitigation Center on May 23, 2023 shows a dramatic improvement for most of the western US over the last year, with most area’s drought classifications downgraded by one or more classes.

Changes in drought classifications across the US.

But as welcome as this improvement is, it’s going to take more than one good snow year to dig ourselves out from the deep hole we are in. Much of the US is still categorized as either D0 (Abnormally Dry) or D1 (Moderate Drought) with some select regions continuing to worsen, even after this winter. The following two images show recorded drought conditions almost exactly one year apart.

Drought conditions comparing May 2022 to May 2023.

The New and Fragile Normal for Water Supply

Water managers rely on forecasts to predict the volume of available water supply for the upcoming spring and summer months. Generally, a bigger snow year means a better forecast and more water availability. But total snowfall is only one piece of the water supply puzzle, and other factors, mainly brought about by a more volatile climate and our changing society, can create additional challenges.

Some of the challenges today’s water managers face include:

  • Higher overall demand for water and more consumptive uses brought about by population growth.

  • Difficulty with the management of the timing of runoff (earlier melting) – warmer-than-average spring temps and more dust-on-snow events (which expedites melting) are causing severe flooding and other adverse impacts. Overall, severe runoff is less beneficial for water supplies as it overwhelms water storage infrastructure and is difficult to capture (something stormwater experts are grappling with as they look to design infrastructure for a changing climate).  

  • Thirsty soils – already dry soils take up less water than saturated soils, leading to more runoff and less water supply capture.

  • Previously depleted groundwater resources and surface water reservoirs – “digging out of a hole”.

Water Managers Look to Variety of Strategies to Harness Retimed and Excess Water

These challenges, combined with a volatile climate, mean that one wet winter won’t be enough, and leave water managers facing a difficult task.

Fortunately, solutions such as water banking, watershed planning, and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), can be deployed to combat these challenges and capitalize on the periods of excess runoff water. And thanks to the unprecedented volume of available funding opportunities for water sustainability, conservation, and efficiency projects, these solutions are becoming more widespread and are proving to have effective implementation.

Aspect is heavily involved in water banking, watershed planning, and ASR, helping western clients with short-term and long-term water supply projects. Additional detail about Aspect’s past and current involvement with these strategies can be found below:

How 300 SNOTEL Sites Forecast the Pacific Northwest’s Annual Water Future – Part 1

Nearly 300 climate monitoring stations (SNOTEL sites) scattered across Washington state hold the data to our largest and most valuable reservoir: The Winter Snowpack. As of early February 2022, our water year began typically but has trended warm. We did get plenty of snow in the Cascades and Olympics – the critical mountain ranges that store our state’s water future. Read on for Part 1 of our two-part series, where we’ll distill the SNOTEL data, and then come back in the spring to see how the 2022 snowpack fed water resources in the Pacific Northwest.

A look at Mount Shuksan during some backcountry ski touring. This area around Mount Baker receives some of the highest snowfall in the Pacific Northwest. In the spring, the melting snowpack feeds major rivers in Northwest Washington, across Whatcom and Skagit County.

Snowpack is the Key to Fish, Flows, and Agriculture

Snowpack is vital to Washington’s water supply; we all depend on this resource as it piles in our mountains in the winter and melts in the spring to replenish streams and groundwater. Its impact is counted on by:

  • Farmers – To grow crops with irrigation water from streams fed by snowpack

  • Cities and Counties – To supply homes from groundwater replenished by snowpack

  • Industries – To generate hydroelectric power from rivers fed by snowpack

  • Salmon – To feed cool and clear water to critical fish habitat

Winters of below-normal snowpack add strain to the teetering balance of water supply and demand and challenge water managers throughout the state. Fortunately, this strain does not come as a blindside because of the SNOTEL network.

Basin-filled map showing percent of median across Washington State on February 1, 2022.

SNOTEL Surveys Washington’s Water Future

A growing network of nearly 300 climate stations (SNOTEL sites, short for SNOwpack TELemetry) monitor our changing snowpack reservoir in real-time, revealing whether the snowpack is below- or above-normal. This is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who provide this free publically available data. This allows regulatory agencies to make early decisions to manage the level of risk in receiving more or less water than planned for in spring, when the ‘reservoir’ stored in the snow transforms into streamflow that replenishes rivers and groundwater basins throughout the state.

Snow Water Equivalent – Not Just for Skiers and Boarders

Many people may associate snowpack in terms of snow depth. However, in the context of water supply to fish/flows/communities, of greater importance is the snow water equivalent (SWE). If you take a volume of snow and melt it, the volume of water left is SWE. SWE is a better measure of how much water is available in the spring meltout. The water content of falling snow can be highly variable: five feet of dry powdery snow is not equivalent to five feet of wet heavy snow.

How’s it looking? A Summary of Washington February 2022 Snowpack

Water year 2022 (‘Water Year’ always starts on October 1 annually, unlike the calendar year) began typical and uneventful; however, by mid-November, a battering of atmospheric rivers delivered warm and wet conditions to the state. While rainfall records were shattered (wettest fall in recorded Seattle history), warm temperatures quickly erased any progress of previous snowpack development and the 2022 snowpack (the black line) initially fell under the normal line (see green line below). As we crossed into December, the snowpack regained momentum, crossing above the normal line.  By January and into February, the state’s snowpack plateaued, ending right at the normal values, to date.  

Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) in Pacific Northwest Region. The black line shows 2022 SWE trends to date. The green line shows normal “median” snowpack blue and red lines show the max and min (% median).

As of early February 2022, the Pacific Northwest snowpack is 102 percent of normal. In Washington, the highest reading of SNOTEL data in the State were at 109 percent of normal in the Lower Columbia Basin. The Lower Yakima has the lowest reading at 83 percent of normal.

Using SNOTEL to See Our Water Reservoir Forecast

As the SNOTEL data illuminates, our snowpack story is fluid. This year, so far, is trending around normal. However, the value of having 300 monitoring stations is mountains of data to measure our state’s water health. This gets more and more important as the weather turns warmer and farmers, fish, and communities seek out the meltout from the reservoirs in the mountains. Check back in April 2022 for Part 2 of our SNOTEL water summary where we’ll look back at how our 2022 snowpack reservoir turned out.

Meet Daniel Chang and Ryan Mullen

Aspect recently welcomed Daniel Chang to our Seattle office and Ryan Mullen to our Bellingham office. Here are Five Questions we asked to get to know them better.

Daniel Chang, Staff Engineer

Yellowstone Grand Prismatic Spring! During my post-graduation road trip in Fall 2020

Yellowstone Grand Prismatic Spring! During my post-graduation road trip in Fall 2020

1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

I was born and raised in Johnson City, Tennessee, but I knew that I wanted to explore outside of the Southeast post-college. After spending the summer of 2019 in Seattle for an internship, I knew I had to come back to enjoy the city and all the nature the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

 2. What inspired you to pursue water resources engineering? What made you curious about it?

I have always been a swimmer, so I like to think my interest in water came from that experience in the sport. Spending 20+ hours a week swimming is plenty of time to think about where this tank of water is coming from, what is in the water, and the occasional thought of the absurdity of swimming in a massive tank of water in the center of cities facing drought. The interest grew through courses in college learning about global challenges with water access, supply, and quality—all of which I am excited to tackle in my career.

 3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

I love the general idea of working “behind the scenes” for a resource that the general population takes for granted in our daily lives. We often have the privilege to not think about where our water comes from, or what is in it, so I enjoy investigating all of that under the surface and at the source.

 4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

COVID proved to me that I am truly an extrovert. When I am not working, I love to be with friends doing anything from re-watching guilty pleasure movies/TV shows for the 50th time, cooking (and eating!) massive feasts, or exploring nature in my journey to become a true PNWer. For the immediate though, I am currently training for swimming the Olympic trials in June 2021 for a final swan song to my swim career!

 5. What five people would be your dream dinner party guests?

To get the perfect balance of conversation, comedy, and cuisine, I present my dream dinner party roster: Gordon Ramsey (to roast/maybe compliment my food), Meryl Streep (for the high class feeling), Adele (for some giggles and maybe live performance), Bill Nye (for the fun facts), and Mindy Kaling (for great laughs).

Ryan Mulllen, Staff Geologist 

Mountain biking the 100-mile White Rim loop in Canyonlands National Park, UT

Mountain biking the 100-mile White Rim loop in Canyonlands National Park, UT

1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

I am a Pacific Northwest native. I moved away from Washington after high school and spent the last seven years in southwest Colorado. I recently moved back here to be closer to family, water, and bigger mountains. 

2. What inspired you to pursue hydrogeology? What made you curious about it?

I grew up spending summers swimming on Lake Washington and skiing down the glaciers of Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens. Spending time on water was always a big part of my life. It was not until I moved to Colorado that I began to understand how important (and scarce) water can be.

I studied physical and historical geology during my undergraduate degree and was fortunate to have gone to school in a unique geographic environment where 500 million years of geologic time was on display in the cliffs and valleys across from campus. I witnessed the distribution and movement of water across these landscapes and saw how seasons of extreme drought and catastrophic flooding impacted the community. 

3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated? 

The work is always interesting and varied, allowing me to be involved in many different types of projects. Hydrogeology encompasses a range of disciplines and each project has its own set of challenges that require innovative solutions. 

4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working? 

Generally, just about anything besides relaxing. I typically try to pack in as many adventures as I can after work hours and on the weekends. Lately I have been pursuing trail running, climbing, paragliding, skiing, and mountain biking. My wife and dog often get persuaded into joining my overambitious exploits. When I do find some downtime, I enjoy cooking, photography, reading, and sipping on a tasty sour beer while planning for the next adventure. 

5. Where in the world would you like to travel next?

My wife and I dream of touring Europe by paraglider someday. On the more practical side, we are looking forward to exploring the mountains of the North Cascades, BC, and Alaska, hopefully this summer. 

Meet Rachel Cornwell, Sam Adlington, and Jay Pietraszek

Aspect recently welcomed Rachel Cornwell, Sam Addlington, and Jay Pietraszek to our Seattle office. Here are Five Questions we asked to get to know them better…

Rachel Cornwell, Staff Scientist

Rachel on a January walk at Gross Reservoir in Boulder, CO

Rachel on a January walk at Gross Reservoir in Boulder, CO

1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

I was born and raised in Bellingham, WA. I went to school in Colorado but making the decision to return to the Pacific Northwest was an easy one (despite the rain). There is something about the nature and the people here that makes it feel like home. Although I grew up just a couple of hours north of Seattle, living in the city now feels like an entirely new place that I am excited to explore!

2. What inspired you to pursue environmental engineering? What made you curious about it?

In high school, I got the opportunity to travel to Honduras with Living Waters for the World. I worked on the engineering team to install a water purification system in a rural town called Las Bodegas. Working with mentors and community members showed me that engineering was not only about efficient, cost-effective design, but also about how that design impacts a community’s health, business opportunities, and ability to live a better life. This experience opened my eyes to the kind of impact I could make and inspired me to pursue an environmental engineering degree.

Through my time in the environmental engineering program at Colorado University, my focus shifted from water treatment to remediation of contaminated sites, and I realized that my connection with environmental remediation work began as a kid; I grew up spending most summers at Holden Village, a small retreat center in the mountains near Lake Chelan. The village was historically a mining town for the Holden Mine, which became a Superfund site in the 1980s. I remember seeing the tailing piles and remnants of the mine on hikes around the area. The orange coating of streambeds and the eerie, abandoned structures surrounding the village always left me curious. As I learn more about remediation processes, I constantly connect it back to these images that stuck in my mind as a kid.

3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

I love that remediation work allows you to both zoom into the tiny details and zoom out to a bigger picture. I think shifting between those perspectives keeps things interesting and creates complex problems that require innovative solutions. Hitting specific cleanup levels requires precise design and detailed understanding of remediation mechanisms, but also requires an overarching understanding of stakeholders and their priorities, as well as why the remediation is important. Right now, I am excited to learn more about remediation mechanisms and to see first-hand how a remediation system impacts sites in different ways given unique sets of soil and groundwater conditions.

4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

I love to get out and hike on the weekends! I find hiking to be the best way to get to know a new area – it’s how I came to feel at home in Colorado, and how I am rediscovering the PNW now. I also love to write songs. I’ve been re-learning how to play guitar recently and enjoy writing songs with piano and voice.

5. Where in the world would you like to travel next?

Last summer, I spent a few weeks traveling down the eastern coast of South Africa after a two-month bridge construction project in eSwatini. I would go back there in a heartbeat! That area was so diverse in culture, natural features, and things to see and do! In the time I was there I learned a lot from locals about the different ethnic groups and how their languages and experiences differ. I would love to return to that area and continue exploring other parts of southern Africa, like Zimbabwe and Mozambique, as well as more of South Africa.

Sam Adlington, Project Engineer

This is from my last trip to Bali Indonesia in 2018. With the heat and not being acclimated to the climate I was taking every opportunity to get some shade and coconut water.

This is from my last trip to Bali Indonesia in 2018. With the heat and not being acclimated to the climate I was taking every opportunity to get some shade and coconut water.

1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

I am a greater Seattle area native. I grew up on the north end of Ballard before my family moved to Shoreline when I was 10. Since I finished college I’ve lived in Bellevue, Redmond, and Lynnwood. Frankly I never really wanted to live anywhere else.

2. What inspired you to pursue remediation engineering? What made you curious about it?

Technically most of the engineering work I’m involved in is for the solid waste industry or general environmental engineering/consulting. Within solid waste engineering there are a lot of the concepts of remediation engineering that are similar, just applied differently or with alterations to timelines, capacities, and project scale.

I seemingly fell into this line of work, but it works with the way that my brain is wired and I haven’t wanted to stop since I got started. It all started in college — like most students I could not make up my mind on a major. I started out really looking at either mechanical or chemical engineering. Through engineering clubs that I participated in, I had a few friends that were getting environmental engineering degrees through the civil engineering department. I started taking classes out of curiosity since it sounded like an interesting combination of the elements that got me started with engineering. I found it really worked well with what I liked to do and where I wanted to move my career.

Fresh out of college I wound up getting a job as a groundwater sampler/field tech for a firm that specialized in civil and environmental engineering for the solid waste industry. Since then I’ve sought out projects that have elements that I’m interested in, leveraging experience and trust built to get where I’m at now.

3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

I should preface this by saying that I really like problem-solving. I’m not the type that will sit and do Sudoku or crossword puzzles because I get a lot of satisfaction out of what I get to do daily. A big driver is that no two projects are ever identical. While there are similarities, there always seems to be some complication, technicality, or nuance that needs to be managed and accounted for which keeps the work fresh and interesting.

4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

I always seem to have a few half-completed projects that I’m tinkering with in my spare time. Recently I’ve gotten into brewing and I’ve got a few tech/electronics projects on my workbench. The shortlist of longer-term interests includes:

  • Snowboarding (when the weather is cold)

  • Bicycling (when the weather is nicer)

  • Playing soccer (goalkeeper), generally I lean to indoor but the occasional full field game when the weather cooperates

In addition, I bought a house right at the start of the pandemic. So all the new chores and other tasks that come with that have been keeping me busy during the pandemic.

5. Where in the world would you like to travel next?

Europe is on my shortlist when we can safely travel again. Still haven’t made up my mind on whether or not to go with the UK or EU, but we’ve got time to think about it. Places like Finland, Norway, or Sweden really seem interesting to me, but my partner is originally from a tropical country and she will likely not want to go anywhere cold for vacation.

Jay Pietraszek, Senior Hydrogeologist

Beautiful 12 pound Silver Salmon caught on the Akwe River, southeast Alaska, September 2020

Beautiful 12 pound Silver Salmon caught on the Akwe River, southeast Alaska, September 2020

1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

I spent the majority of my childhood in the Chicago area. I came to Seattle initially after graduating from the University of Montana. But I’ve been in the Pacific Northwest for over 15 years, so it’s home now.

2. What inspired you to pursue hydrogeology? What made you curious about it?

I always loved being on or near the water, both as a kid on the Great Lakes and then during college on the rivers of Montana and Wyoming. My interest in the field grew from those experiences and memories. I became curious about the profession and industry as a student and the curiosity continues!

3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

I enjoy the creativity and problem solving that is required, and the complexity and diverse nature of the questions that we try to answer for our clients. I believe in the growth potential of the industry, particularly over the long term, and I am excited to keep pushing forward and helping those coming up in the profession.

4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

I enjoy spending time with my family, first and foremost. A Saturday evening with a couple of The Mandalorian episodes on the docket is about as good as it gets for me these days. I like tinkering around the house and learning something new. And of course, I still love being outside on the water or somewhere up in mountains, off the beaten track.

5. Where in the world would you like to travel next?

Tasmania, with a fly rod in hand!

Know Your Water Rights Math: Annual Consumptive Quantity 101

Kittitas North Branch Canal.JPG

The Washington State water code is daunting. The network of rules and regulations is complex: Washington Administrative Codes. Revised Code of Washington. Hundreds of court cases. Ecology administrative policies. It can be difficult to navigate. 

In this mix is a key concept: ‘Annual Consumptive Quantity’ or ‘ACQ.’ Originating in 1997, ACQ is a specialized analysis that is triggered whenever a water right is changed to expand its authorized irrigated acreage or add a purpose of use (while retaining its current purpose of use).  

The ACQ process can have big implications on the outcome of a water right change – especially if the water right falls into one of the special exceptions that disqualify it from ACQ.  

Taylor Dayton, Aspect engineer and member of the Chelan County Conservancy Board, recently gave a presentation on what Annual Consumptive Quantity is, how to apply it, and possible alternative approaches to changing the attributes of a water right in water rights permitting projects. 

See a video of her presentation below:

Contact Taylor to learn more.

Aspect Welcomes Hydrogeologist Jay Pietraszek to Water Resources Team

Senior Hydrogeologist Jay Pietraszek joins Aspect’s Pacific Northwest-leading water resources team. Jay is a hydrogeologist with over 15 years of experience focusing on process-based assessments of water quality and water quantity for water supply, resource evaluations, and water management planning for commercial and industrial projects. He is based in Seattle, supporting Aspect’s Puget Sound clients as well as expanding Aspect’s water supply services throughout the Pacific Northwest.  

Jay Pietraszek, LHG

Jay Pietraszek, LHG

“As a firm founded by hydrogeologists, Jay’s background and expertise are an ideal match with Aspect’s water resources client base,” said Dan Haller, Principal Engineer for Aspect’s Water Resources Practice. “We’re excited to continue to build Aspect’s water resources team to be one of the strongest in the entire Pacific Northwest.”

Jay has performed extensive hydrogeologic analyses including site characterizations, water quality source assessments, evaluation of surface-groundwater interactions, pumping test analyses, well installations in complex hydrogeologic systems, production well design, and dewatering assessments for public agency, tribal, and mining clients. Pairing with his deep scientific know-how is Jay’s ability to translate complex ideas into clear communication and engage with regulatory and permitting bodies to move projects towards milestone goals.

“I’m excited to join the Aspect team and have the opportunity to work and collaborate with such a talented group of consultants,” said Jay.  “Aspect is one of the premier hydrogeologic consultancies in the region, with an excellent reputation for developing innovative and practical approaches to solve complex water resource challenges. I’m confident that Aspect’s core values and brand will provide a foundation for future success and opportunities, particularly as the demand for water resource-related services continues to grow.”

Join us on November 3rd and 4th for the 13th Annual Washington Water Code Seminar

On November 3rd and 4th, join (virtually) Aspect’s Principal Water Resource Engineer Dan Haller and Senior Associate Hydrogeologist Tyson Carlson at The Seminar Group’s 13th Annual Washington Water Code Seminar.

As Co-chair, Dan will guide a distinguished group of professionals presenting on the past, present, and future of key issues in water law, including relinquishment, adjudications, conservancy boards, water banking, and instream flows.

In addition to Co-chairing the conference, Dan is leading the “Water Right 101 Power Hour: An interactive presentation on how the prior appropriation system works, impairment in water rights, and how engineering, hydrogeology, policy, and legal disciplines all have important roles in administering the water code.”

Tyson is co-presenting at the “COVID-19 Impacts on Water Resources in Washington” Session. This session aims to inform attendees on the “economic impacts, regulatory response, and use of technology in adapting to COVID-19 issues in water resources; New Health and Safety Standards for Projects; Use of Technology (drones) for site visits; how technology is changing the water resources practice.”

The Conference will also highlight Ecology’s recent legislative report on the future of adjudications in Washington. Given that the Acquavella Adjudication in the Yakima basin lasted 42 years, Ecology’s recommendation to adjudicate basins in Whatcom County and near Lake Roosevelt will help shape the future of water right law and policy for years to come.

Learn More about the upcoming conference here: https://www.theseminargroup.net/seminardetl.aspx?id=6064

Spokane Health Building Taps into Groundwater for Carbon-Neutral Goals

It’s not every day you can celebrate the first step in an innovative, carbon-neutral $60 Million health campus. In Spokane, Washington, a group of regional partners – including Gonzaga University, University of Washington, and McKinstry – are collaborating to build a four-story, 80,000-square foot health sciences building in the heart of Spokane’s riverfront. This Regional Health Partnership is the first of its kind in several ways. The public-private collaboration is unique as all partners look to build a world-class health headquarters in the Inland Empire. It’s also special because it has its sights on achieving recent carbon-neutral targets set out by the state of Washington.

The campus is just breaking ground now, with target construction completion finishing in summer 2022. One of the keys to the carbon-neutral puzzle – essentially, no emissions from the campus – is an innovative heating and cooling system for the campus building. This system, which is being co-designed between Aspect and McKinstry, pumps groundwater from an aquifer beneath the property, runs the water through a mechanical device where heat energy in the water is used to heat or cool the building. This “Open-Loop Ground Source Heat Pump” system has been implemented elsewhere but is not done very often because the subsurface conditions have to be just right to both provide the energy and cost savings to make it viable.

Take a look at the celebratory video marking this milestone (see Aspect’s ‘congratulations’ at 19:25 of the video):

A Nod to the Mighty Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer

Aspect is the hydrogeologic lead on the ground-source heat pump piece of the project and, as a company founded by hydrogeologists, we’re excited to contribute to eliminating carbon-based fuels historically used to heat and cool buildings.

The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie (SVRP) aquifer in the project region is known as a highly productive one, pumping out the right temperature and volume to make the overall heating/cooling vision for the campus come to life. The final piece of the puzzle came together through a detailed characterization of the site to support water rights permitting.

There’s plenty of more work to do on this exciting project in the months to come and we look forward to helping other clients meet innovative and forward-looking energy goals with hydrogeologic science..

The Path to Professional License: Matthew Lewis

In the science and engineering industry, seeing a “PE”, “LG”, “PMP”, or other initials behind someone’s name shows that person went through years of work experience that culminated in a substantial test to confirm the right to practice their area of technical expertise. A professional license is a proof statement that communicates that the people charged with designing roads and buildings; solving water supply challenges; cleaning up contaminated soil and water; and successfully managing project quality are qualified and ethically accountable professionals. Many go through this licensing journey but few outside that group know what the process is really like.

We’re telling those stories here. Aspect’s professionals are writing a series of articles that capture the trials and successes of studying for and receiving these career-defining milestones.

Matthew Lewis, Hydrogeology License (LHG)

LHG awarded October 2019

Matthew in the field at a gravel mine in Shelton

What was the best piece of advice you received as you started your LHG journey?

The best piece of advice I received was to keep this test in perspective and not let it stress me out. That the worst-case scenario would be to just take it again. Failure is feedback, not the end of the world.

Given this advice, what would you tell those about to begin?

My first piece of advice to anyone starting out is to treat the application as an important task itself, not just a formality. You will need to take time to coordinate with your project managers, who will have to take time to submit their own forms on your behalf. The application also requires a lot of information about projects you’ve worked on to prove evidence of your experience. I found that remembering relevant projects and describing my contributions were more time consuming than I initially thought they would be (what was that 5-year-old-project’s name again?), and I had some unexpected issues arise in gathering information about the projects as well. I was glad I started work early and submitted my application well ahead of time –a small road bump can turn into a critical failure when you’re up against a hard deadline.

Matthew and his high-energy family

My second piece of advice is to assess ahead of time how studying will impact your work/life balance. I have three high-energy kids at home, none of whom like to go to bed, and post-bedtime was the only time I could hope to squeeze in some study time. So I knew I had to start studying months in advance and plan for smaller, bite-sized study sessions. This early start helped me manage my time and stress and allow some flexibility in my study routine.

How did you study strategically?

I made sure to lock in the fundamentals like calculating a groundwater gradient by hand from a few wells, determining hydraulic head across an earthen dam from a flow-net diagram, and even just memorizing common unit conversions. Since I’m typically working with spreadsheet models and calculation software, it was easy to let some of those basic skills get rusty.

I knew from my days playing guitar that the best way to make progress is to practice towards your weaknesses. At work, I typically work on pumping tests, construction dewatering, and infiltration analysis, etc., so I focused my study efforts on areas of hydrogeology that I don’t work with every day. Even so, I was caught off-guard by several questions about aquifer tracer tests that I didn’t have that specific background knowledge in. This was a little discouraging, but I did so well in the other areas that it balanced out in the end. So, I recommend that once you have the fundamentals down, find the areas of hydrogeology you have the least exposure to and put your energy there.

Walk us through the Big Test Day…

My main focus on Test Day was to manage my stress levels and keep my mind clear. My LHG test was in the afternoon, so I made sure to get a good night’s sleep (no cramming the night before!) and eat breakfast with my family. I arrived at The Evergreen State College with plenty of time to find my testing location and listen to a bit of my favorite music. When I finally took the exam, I flew through half of it in less than an hour, and then spend the rest of the period taking my time on the more complex problems. I left feeling cautiously optimistic, but I also knew that test results don’t come for three loooooong months, so it’s best not to dwell on it—just let it go. Also, why does a scantron test take so long to process?!

How did you feel when you got the results?

I was thrilled to find out I had passed the exam. I was expecting a letter, but the email was just sitting there in my inbox one morning. I immediately called my wife with the news, and then I called my studio lead.

Obtaining my LHG was an important career milestone that helped pave the way for my Project Manager position. It also feels good now to see my LHG stamp on Aspect reports; it communicates a specialized knowledge background to our clients.

Matthew Lewis, LHG is a Project Hydrogeologist in Aspect’s Seattle office.

Community Water Supply Solutions: A Success Story

Since construction 30 years prior, yield in two of this rural town’s (in southern Washington state) drinking water wells has been in a steady, long-term decline.

At these problem wells, results of regular water-quality testing were showing increasing amounts of iron and silica, and concentrations of sodium were exceeding advisory levels. More recently, wellfield operators were reporting the sound of water cascading down the casing beneath the pumphouse, and could hear the hiss of air entrained in the discharge line. Utility managers with the town were growing concerned about the longevity of the wells and whether they could continue to meet demand.

The local PUD, who operates the wells for the town, wanted to get things back on track. But where to start? Which of the problems should they address first? And how would they know they were investing in the right fixes, and making the best decisions for their customer owners? The PUD brought in Aspect to problem solve and rehabilitate the wells to recover the lost supply.

Water pumped from one of the town’s water supply wells with high iron oxides and turbidity.

Well Rehabilitation Detective Work

For the PUD, our initial approach examined the usual suspects of declining wellfield performance: well construction records, changes in water quality, regional trends in aquifer levels, and the condition of the pump and motor. As part of our review, we also used a slimline downhole camera to observe the condition of the well screen and casing. Our “nano” camera is designed to be deployed without having to first pull the pump—a significant time and money saver for everyone involved—and provides real-time information to diagnose what’s happening underground.

Our investigation revealed that the water supply wells were suffering from both chemical and physical complications: poor well construction and high iron-sulfide content in the source aquifer was fueling a booming population of slime-forming bacteria. Although each of these problems could be addressed with short-term fixes, they represented long-term maintenance costs and perpetual service interruptions for the PUD. While nearly any drilling outfit is capable of clearing obstructions and replacing damaged casing, our hydrogeologists provided big-picture perspective of the subsurface. Instead of attacking the symptoms of well decline with temporary solutions, we looked to understand the root cause of water problems and make recommendations that will improve pumping capacity for the long-term.

Reducing Long-Term Cost and Gaining Higher-Quality Groundwater

As an alternative, Aspect recommended a phased approach to rehabilitate the water source. First, to address water needs today, we prescribed a series of well rehabilitation treatments to restore the well performance. Second, to address water needs in the years to come, we outlined steps for developing a new source in a higher-quality body of groundwater. In addition to reducing long-term cost, this approach is consistent with the PUD’s mission to serve their customer owners.

Water filtration system necessary to treat water prior to distribution.

Contact Aspect to Learn More About Well Rehabilitation Services

Successful well rehabilitation results from a methodical process.

Successful well rehabilitation results from a methodical process.

If you have questions or want to learn more about our well-rehabilitation services, please contact Jon Turk or Andrew Austreng in our Water Resources Practice.

Spotlight on PNW Water Resources Leaders: Twisp Mayor Soo Ing-Moody

Twisp’s Mayor, Soo Ing-Moody was recently profiled in the Seattle Times to shine a spotlight on her leading this rural and vital Northern Washington State town – a world-class destination for internationally-known cross country skiing and sunny season hiking and water recreation.

Over many years, Aspect played a key part in helping secure the Town’s water rights, which the Town worked on for almost two decades to make sure sensible development proceeds in this sought-after North Washington area.

Twisp Mayor Soo Ing-Moody
Photo Credit: Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times

Under the leadership of the Mayor, Aspect helped find and negotiate the purchase of enough water rights to grow for more than 20 years. The Town and Aspect also worked with Ecology to help obtain the necessary permits to make the transfer possible.

Read more about the Town and Mayor’s leadership here.

The Path to Professional License: Taylor Dayton

In the science and engineering industry, seeing a “PE”, “LG”, “PMP”, or other initials behind someone’s name shows that person went through years of work experience that culminated in a substantial test to confirm the right to practice their area of technical expertise. A professional license is a proof statement that communicates that the people charged with designing roads and buildings; solving water supply challenges; cleaning up contaminated soil and water; and successfully managing project quality are qualified and ethically accountable professionals. Many go through this licensing journey but few outside that group know what the process is really like.

We’re telling those stories here. Aspect’s professionals are writing a series of articles that capture the trials and successes of studying for and receiving these career-defining milestones.

Taylor Dayton, Professional Engineering License

October 2019 – Tested; January, 2020 – Awarded OR PE; May, 2020 – Reciprocity WA PE.

There comes a point in every engineer-in-training’s life where you have to face the music. Eight years into my field of practice, I had my own hardhat, leather-bound hydraulic flow data quick reference manual, and a fancy metal scale ruler sitting on the corner of my desk. I’d written hundreds of pages worth of technical reports and wiled away long afternoons in AutoCAD wondering why the newest version hid all the buttons I needed to pull together a construction plan set. I’d even replumbed part of my own home successfully after mistakenly spilling a can full of black beans down my garbage disposal – confirmation that my skills can fix real-world problems.

Eight years in, it seemed like my career was going well, but there was one specter looming. The state licensing board has chosen the eight-year mark as the best time for a casual spot check of your developing skillset through a 9-hour NCESS-administered examination of every engineering concept you’ve ever learned. If you are successful, you gain the privilege of ordering new business cards with two tiny letters at the end of your name.

Where did you start with your test prep?

I started studying in March 2019 in preparation to take the October 2019 exam. My goal was to hit 300 hours of dedicated study time. Because of my degrees (undergraduate in biochemistry and master’s in civil engineering, with water and wastewater focus) I knew I would be strong in chemistry, pumps, and pipes, but not have as much experience with air engineering or landfill design.

Knowing the test material is just one part of the experience. What should a person gearing up to do this know about the mental, physical, and social aspects of test prep?

This was my general approach to the exam. Season your preparation approach to taste.

  1. Philosophy: Failure was not an option. I was committed to temporarily sacrificing elements of my work/life balance to make sure I would nail this exam on the first try.

  2. Time Management: I evaluated my performance at work, talked to my manager, and adjusted my commitments to what was realistically possible knowing that I would need enough mental energy to hit the books just about every day before or after work. I minimized travel where possible and dialed down on my business development efforts while I was preparing for my exam.

  3. Friends and Family: I notified everyone in my life of my six-month commitment to a disgruntled hermit lifestyle. I set up a dedicated study space and committed up to two hours a day during the week and up to 12 hours on the weekends. If this sounds like a HUGE time commitment, it was. I’m not really geared for partial commitments to things.

  4. Mental/Physical Health: I blocked out and prioritized a time to hit the gym four times a week. This is absolutely critical. You will be consuming many study snacks and disappointing your daily step counter of choice during the study process and it’s easy to let that inertia get you down.

  5. A Pre-Test Reward: Plan a trip or mini-adventure for two weeks prior to your exam. Stop studying when you hit that point and do a lot of fun things in the two weeks leading up to your exam.

What was the best piece of advice you received as you started your PE journey?

I appreciated everyone who was humble enough to reveal that it took them two or three times to pass the exam. It was comforting to know that their lives didn’t fall apart immediately and that it didn’t hinder their journeys to becoming respected scientists and engineers. They just refocused, studied better, and got it done.

Walk us through the Big Test Day…

After months and months of preparation, test day approached in October. I recommend doing the following to help keep your peace of mind before/during/after the test:

  • Book a hotel as close to your testing location as possible. Take a half-day from work and travel to the hotel. Go pick some great snacks for your lunch break the next day, eat a good dinner, and watch a great movie.

  • Plan to take off work the day after the exam to de-stress and start getting your life back in order.

  • Reconnect with whatever friends and family will have you back, notice your pets are a little overweight from all the hikes you haven’t been taking them on, and go outside to see what season it is in nature now since you probably missed at least one while studying.

Ten days later, you will receive your results and can send them on to the State Engineering Board for verification.

Here I am repping my top of the line safety gear and the North Central Washington Beekeepers Association, cracking open the overwintered beehives for the first time this season.

How did you feel when you finally got the results?

“All right! Time to go after that beekeeper certification!”

Any parting advice?

In retrospect, was the amount of time I dedicated to this crazy? Could I have gotten away with only 150 hours of preparation or one quick scan of my old college binders the night before? It’s possible, but I think this approach was helpful on three levels.

  1. Preparing the PE is an introspective journey. You get to retread eight years of growth and affirm that you’re not the freshman barely treading water in differential equations anymore.

  2. The process reminded me of the breadth of the skillset I’ve built as a professional and encouraged me to reach out to PMs I don’t usually work with to utilize some of that skillset in new ways. Aspect does water system planning now!

  3. The (over) preparation made exam day a straightforward and easy experience. There were a few questions on topic areas I have never encountered in my day job, but they were a very small portion of the exam. I’d practiced 95% of the test in my review process and was familiar enough with the process that I didn’t have to waste time browsing the reference manual. That allowed plenty of time to make some educated guesses on the material I didn’t know and knock out the exam a couple of hours early.

Taylor Dayton is a Project Engineer at Aspect Consulting in Wenatchee, Washington. Contact her to share any test-taking tips you have.

Favorite Study Resources

PE exam-specific guides:

The NCEES reference manual – Free. This is your only lifeline to the outside world during the exam. Print it out and become familiar with every page and table.

The NCEES practice exam - $30. This is your bible and only insight from the test provider on the actual content of the exam. I recommend attempting this exam once at the start of your studying process and again near the end. Use this to gauge the difficulty of the problems you may encounter on the exam.

PE Environmental Review by Michael Lindburg - $290. The golden standard reference for PE preparation. I committed to reading a few sections of this book each study session. I found it helpful to recall the topics I was familiar with in graduate school, but have not encountered in my current practice. There are other resources available in this series of books if you need additional problem sets to work through (PE Practice, PE Practice Exams), but I did not find them very true to the actual questions on the exam.

School of PE On Demand Lectures and Problem Sets - $340 for one month. I highly recommend the School of PE course to help structure your study approach. They have a much more expensive live version of the course, but one month of the On Demand course was enough for me to review all the lecture video content, annotate the provided course notes, and make a binder of the practice problems they provide. I used the practice problems as the core of my study sessions and they prepared me very well for the test.

Textbooks to Flip Through:

Introduction to Environmental Engineering. Any variety of this kind of textbook will do, but I like the intro book by Gilbert Masters and Wendell Ela. You can find it for a cool $20. It includes great primers on climate change and ozone depletion, risk assessment, indoor air quality, source-reduction and recycling, and groundwater contamination.

Hazardous Waste Management by Michael LeGrega. Your one stop shop for landfill questions.

Water Quality and Treatment by James Edswald. The absolute best handbook for drinking water treatment.

Biological Wastewater Treatment: The golden standard is the Metcalf and Eddy textbook, but I found I preferred Biological Wastewater Treatment by Grady, Dalgger, Love, and Filipe. There are very good comprehensive chapter summaries that I read through that addressed every wastewater question I encountered on the exam.

Trusty Calculator Companion?

I brought along the same loyal TI-36X that I used on the FE exam. I even bought a second one to bring along as a backup, which the test proctor thought was very cool. I’m pretty sure that’s what her expression meant anyway.


Guiding Operators to Safe Design for 1,100+ Dams

The public perception of water supply dams may bring to mind huge reservoirs, such as the Hoover Dam in Nevada and, in the Pacific Northwest, the Grand Coulee dam. However, Washington state also is charged with regulating and monitoring over a thousand dams of varying sizes, most of them under 50 feet tall. These largely earthen dams are used for a variety of irrigation, water quality, and recreation purposes.

Grand Coulee Dam
Source: Bureau of Reclamation

Helping Dam Owners Plan for Storm and Precipitation Impacts on Dams

Washington’s Dam Safety Office conducts design, planning, and construction inspection and monitoring to ensure dams and owners (the majority of the dams they monitor are privately owned) operate in a safe manner. As part of the regulations, dams are required to meet specific risk-based design requirements during major storms, particularly anticipating heavy rain and or snow events.

Every 10 years, precipitation data is gathered across hundreds of weather stations throughout the state for storm event analysis to help determine safety design criteria. These data and analysis are used by dam owners and state dam safety engineers to ensure design requirements are met.

A Better Software Tool for Dam Safety Projects

“We are very happy with the updated calculator developed by the Aspect-MGS team. It will benefit many dam engineers for the next decade.”

- Dam Safety Office manager Joe Witczak.

Aspect’s software development team, in collaboration with Washington’s Dam Safety Office and MGS Engineering Consultants, co-designed and developed a more user intuitive application for both dam owners and dam safety engineers for risk-based design. The Precipitation Magnitude-Frequency Calculator application helps dam owners determine their requirements by dam location and storm duration event. Users can now more easily select their dam location, storm event durations (small, medium, large), and quickly see the safety design requirements for their particular location. The new calculator is available to download as a zip file on the state’s website.

Contact Chris Bellusci and Mike Mills for more information on Aspect’s software development services for science and engineering projects.

Inside Water Rights: Focusing on the Consumptive Use Principle

Washington state water rights law can be both complex and arcane. However, there are key fundamental principles that decide whether a project will get to use water the way they want to. One of these principles is not increasing consumptive use under a water right. This rule originates from the “no impairment” standard in Washington which says you can change your water right to a new use, but you can’t harm any other water right holder by doing so. One way you can impair another’s water right is by increasing the “consumptive use” as a result of your project.

How Spreading Acreage Policy Increased Focus on Consumptive Use

Before 1997, consumptive use was not a common term of art in water rights. That is because the law prohibited increasing the number of acres authorized on your right, even if you wouldn’t use any more water by doing so. This is still the case in Oregon. However, in 1997, the Legislature allowed increases in acreage (also called “spreading”) so long as the consumptive use was not increased.

For example, this allowed farmers to change from 40 acres of orchard to 80 acres of vineyard, which was not allowed before. In order to prevent impairment by an increase in consumptive use, the Legislature created a formula to quantify how much of your total use is divided into consumptive use (which is typically evapotranspired by plants) or return flow (which seeps into the ground and becomes available for others to use).

‘Use-it-or-Lose-it’ and The Loyal Pig Vineyard Story

Loyal Pig Vineyard case hinged on the consumptive use principle, a fundamental element of water rights projects and case law.

Photo Credit: Capital Press

Recently, there was an interesting case hinging on the consumptive use principle that was decided in the Court of Appeals (where it ultimately was denied after an earlier victory in Superior Court). The Loyal Pig case was arguing that it need not calculate consumptive use for its current transfer because it had already done so in a previous transfer less than 5 years earlier. Because the “use-it-or-lose-it” relinquishment standard is a 5-year standard, they sought to harmonize these two different elements of the water code and simplify later transfers. This was important to them because the final amount of acres they sought to spread was not known at the start of their project, but rather a function of how efficient they could be with their crops.

Ultimately, the Court decided that the plain language of the consumptive use test trumped any benefit to harmonize different elements of the water code, although that could be done legislatively. Now Loyal Pig can either appeal to the Supreme Court or start over and process their transfer with the proper calculations.

Knowing the Case Law is Key to Water Rights Permitting

While this case was procedural in nature, it shows that knowing and staying up to date in water rights case law is crucial to water rights permitting success. Aspect routinely works with farmers and agricultural clients on quantifying consumptive use of their water rights and has successfully processed numerous spreading transfers.

Key U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Groundwater and the Clean Water Act

Groundwater flow path from the County of Maui’s Wastewater Reclamation Facility to the Pacific Ocean. This facility is the subject of the U.S. Supreme Court case. An extensive hydrogeologic study was completed to map how pollutants travel through groundwater to the Ocean. Source: Lahaina Groundwater Tracer Study

On Thursday, April 23, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund, setting an important, but difficult to implement, precedent for determining when National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)[1] permits are required for discharges to groundwater.

How this Case Came to Be

The County of Maui discharges treated municipal wastewater to the ground through four wells about a half-mile from the Pacific Ocean. Multiple environmental groups sued under the Clean Water Act, alleging that the discharge required an NPDES permit.

The U.S. District Court agreed with the environmental groups, concluding that a permit was required because the discharge was “functionally one into navigable water.” The Ninth Circuit Court affirmed, establishing a test that permits are required when “pollutants are fairly traceable from the point source to a navigable water.”

The County appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. EPA weighed in, offering an Interpretive Statement that concluded that all releases of pollutants to groundwater are excluded from the Clean Water Act’s permitting program, “regardless of a hydrologic connection between the groundwater and a jurisdictional surface water”.

The Supreme Court set aside the prior approaches by the District Court and Ninth Circuit, and did not give deference to EPA’s opinion, instead crafting their own solution that NPDES permits apply “to a discharge (from a point source) of pollutants that reach navigable water after traveling through groundwater if that discharge is the functional equivalent of a direct discharge from the point source into navigable waters.”

In a recent blog post, attorneys from Stoel Rives view the Court’s decision as taking the middle ground, resulting in the need for potentially difficult case-by-case evaluations based on the non-exclusive list of seven factors the Court defined as important for functional equivalence:

  1. Transit time

  2. Distance traveled

  3. The nature of the material through which the pollutant travels

  4. The extent to which the pollutant is diluted or chemically changed as it travels

  5. The amount of pollutant entering the navigable waters relative to the amount of the pollutant that leaves the point sources

  6. The manner by or area in which the pollutant enters the navigable waters,

  7. The degree to which the pollution (at that point) has maintained its specific identity

Hydrogeologic Science to Increase in Relevance

The opinion established time and distance as the most important factors in most, but not all, cases.

This emphasis will likely prove problematic, because time and distance, while important, are often not enough, by themselves, to resolve the question of whether pollutants are being transported to a surface water. Should it matter how close (in time or distance) a discharge is to a surface water, if the subsurface conditions provide adequate treatment? In many cases, the other factors identified by the court may prove more important. These questions will likely only be resolved through hydrogeologic studies, and in many cases litigation, at the expense of the individual dischargers.

Implications for Pacific Northwest Businesses and Municipalities

This decision has relevance to businesses and municipalities in the Pacific Northwest that discharge stormwater or wastewater to ground. We expect to see increased attention from regulatory agencies and environmental groups focused on discharges to groundwater. In particular, facilities that are currently exempt from the Industrial Stormwater General Permit because they only discharge to ground should carefully examine their discharge relative to this decision.

To learn more and discuss the relevance of this case further, contact Senior Associate Water Resources Engineer Owen Reese at oreese@aspectconsulting.com or 206-838-5844.

[1] NPDES is the federal program that regulates the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States.

New Western States Water Rights Marketplace Opens

Western Water Market – a new online marketplace to buy and sell water rights – launched in February in Washington state, with plans to eventually expand water rights listings across several western states. WWM looks to streamline a patchy water rights marketplace process, which traditionally has relied mostly on word of mouth to connect buyers and sellers.

Aspect welcomes this site as another way for our clients to reach potential buyers and sellers, and we have migrated several of the water banks we manage to this listing service.

Learn more about Western Water Market in this interview with WWM founder Kristina Ribellia in this recent article with the Capital Press.

Ground Source Heat Pump: Saving Energy Costs and Reducing Carbon Footprints

Our new COVID-19 world has changed every part of work life, including for Aspect. But work does continue on at the same time, as long as it can be done safely, at a distance from others, and consistent with the intent of the current Governor’s Order. Because of the environmental work that we do, Aspect is used to working under strict health and safety procedures. One snapshot of Aspect’s work relates to what our water supply team has been doing for the state’s Public Health Lab in Shoreline, Washington.

Helping to Build a New Public Health Testing Facility

In another year, this may have been just another water supply project – bread-and-butter work for our geologists/hydrogeologists. However, this year finds Aspect’s team working on one of our state’s and the nation’s most unique sites – a Public Health lab that is analyzing COVID-19 tests, among others.

This project was in progress before the COVID-19 news hit—to help design and install a network of ground source heat pump injection and extraction wells to sustainably heat and cool their expanded laboratory efficiently and with a low carbon footprint (another Governor Initiative).

Groundwater to Sustainably Heat and Cool Facility Operations

Why is a ground source heating/cooling method more sustainable? We can use the constant groundwater temperature of about 55 degrees as a way to heat and cool buildings through a mechanical device called a heat pump. The groundwater and heat pump use very little mechanical energy compared to the conventional alternative: a fuel-based boiler and an electrical or water-intensive chiller/air conditioner to heat and cool the laboratory.

The open-loop ground source heat pump system starts with the extraction of groundwater from wells designed and installed by Aspect. The groundwater is then pumped through the heat exchanger then injected back to the ground. No water is lost. The 55 degree ambient temperature of groundwater provides a heat source to heat the lab in the winter and a heat sink to cool the lab in the summer. This system replaces the conventional carbon-based heating and cooling system to reduce carbon footprint and save money in energy costs over a system’s lifespan.

Developing a High-Yield Well in the Middle of the City

The complexities of local Seattle geology can sometimes make high-yield well (i.e., 100+ gallons per minute) development a challenge locally, yet the project team has seen encouraging initial results. Aspect oversaw drilling of a 300-foot-deep boring and conducted a series of tests to assess potential well yields and thermal properties of the ground. After wrapping up well drilling and testing recently, our water supply team is analyzing the hydraulic and thermal modeling, with the goal to have heating design recommendations done by June and delivered to our partner, McKinstry, the mechanical engineering leader of the project team.

Water Supply Testing of Well at the State’s Public Health Lab in April 2020

Water Bank Pioneering at the Washington and Canada Border: Interview with Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District

Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District (OTID), located in north-central Washington State, enjoys senior water supplies from its sources in Lake Osoyoos and the Okanagan River. However, the region has undergone droughts in recent years, resulting in curtailment for junior water rights. In order to make use of its currently available water right and help those without reliable water supply, OTID – with technical and regulatory support from Aspect - set up a water bank that can lease a portion of its unused water to interested customers in the Okanogan River basin, and downstream along the mainstem Columbia River.

Water banking is a relatively newer concept to Washington state and this is the first time this model has been tried in the Upper Columbia Basin, which reaches the Canadian border. In this interview with OTID Secretary-Manager Jay O’Brien and the national magazine Irrigation Leader, Jay speaks about the inspiration for the district’s water banking system, how it works, and how the same concept can benefit other irrigation districts across the region.

Read the article here: http://irrigationleadermagazine.com/

Water Banking Takes Center Stage in Washington State 2020 Legislative Agenda

The 2020 Washington State legislative session kicked off in January and the future of water rights and water banking in the state are taking center stage in the early legislative discussions. At least six prominent bills centering around the State’s “Trust Water Rights” program are being proposed. These bills range from advocating for incremental changes to fundamentally altering how water is permitted, including ideas to prevent or add new criteria for out-of-basin transfers; set up a new “community needs” test to form a water bank; prevent conservancy boards from working on water banks anymore; to charge money for setting up and running banks to cover State time.

Why is Water Banking a Hot Topic?

There’s been an increasing public spotlight in Washington State water permitting issues, including some recent worries that out-of-area speculation is influencing the water market. A reminder that in 2017, the entire $4 Billion state legislative session hinged on the resolution of the Hirst water rights negotiations. That 2017 legislation eventually led to the 2018 Streamflow Restoration Act, which manages over $300 million dollars in state funding to address water rights and supply challenges throughout the state’s watersheds to help habitat, agriculture, and communities over the next 15 years.

Current Water Rights Resources and Information

There’s a range of informed news and opinion resources on this complex topic of water rights and water banking, here are just a few recent ones to stay informed:

Learn More About Water Banking

Aspect is heavily involved in the water banking arena, helping clients with policy (with Washington State University on the Columbia Basin Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast) setting up and running banks (e.g., Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District (OTID) and the Bourne bank, among others), and helping connect buyers and sellers at the local level.

Contact Dan Haller or Tim Flynn to learn more.