Advancing Washington State Water Law for Fish, Housing, Farming, and Industry in 2020

In November 2019, the “Foster” Task Force (referencing the name of the 2015 water rights case it was charged with reviewing) delivered its Water Resource Mitigation Report (Report) to the Washington State Legislature. As the Legislature meets in 2020, this topic may arise in the water bills that will be debated in the coming months. The Report provides an update on progress in the Task Force to define mitigation sequencing, the five “pilot” implementation projects, and how this effort is being integrated with Ecology’s Net Ecological Benefit guidance that was adopted in 2019 for permit-exempt well mitigation.

The issue of how out-of-time and out-of-kind mitigation will be evaluated and potentially codified by the Legislature is a critical question that affects future development in Washington (new housing, farming, and industry). It will also create a framework for how these important out-of-stream needs can be harmonized with fish recovery goals in Washington.

Aspect is currently facilitating two of the RCW 90.94 watersheds that are required to develop Net Ecological Benefit Watershed Plan Updates: Okanogan and Little Spokane. The Foster Task Force’s recommendations (summarized from the Task Force’s group which includes almost 20 members from state government, agencies, municipal water purveyors, tribes, farming, and advocacy groups) on mitigation sequencing may influence these plans that must be adopted by Ecology in early 2021. Aspect’s Dan Haller had the opportunity to present several mitigation projects Aspect has helped clients develop to the Task Force to help inform mitigation sequencing. Check out the report at this link to get up to speed with this emerging water issue.

Contact Dan Haller if interested in discussing the implications of this report further.

Cashmere’s Sherman Reservoir Gets a New Roof

Last March, the metal and wood roof over the City of Cashmere’s Sherman Reservoir cracked under the weight of snow, threatening the integrity of the city’s drinking water. The Wenatchee World recently reported on the City’s efforts to replace the damaged roof with one made from heavier, sturdier concrete. Aspect’s geotechnical team contributed to this critical project to get the reservoir back under safe cover.

Senior Geotechnical Engineer Nick Szot in Aspect’s Wenatchee office began by inspecting the reservoir walls for cracks, and excavating test pit explorations near the reservoir tank to analyze the soil’s strength and capacity to bear the weight of a heavier roof. Informed by collaborative geotechnical and structural analyses from Aspect and structural engineering firm Leslie Engineering, the City chose to enlarge and retrofit an interior column’s footing to support the heavier concrete panel roof and limit differential settlement to tolerable levels.

The concrete panels are now being put in place, supported by the foundations Aspect helped to design. Read more about this project in the Wenatchee World.


Seattle Area Hits Landslide Threshold

With the heavy rains late last week and this weekend, the Seattle area was pushed past the U.S. Geological Survey’s landslide threshold. Check the USGS website for current conditions and see how the rainfall intensity-duration threshold for landslides is calculated.

Additionally, this MyNorthwest article from 2017 provides an explanation of landslide risks in our region with tips on how to spot warning signs.

Seattle Commits $110 Million to Create Almost 2,000 Affordable Homes

The City of Seattle will make the largest award in the City’s history to invest $110 Million for 1,944 new affordable homes. This announcement continues the recent affordable housing funding the City has made over the last several years.

This is great news for the region as well as the group of sponsoring organizations that are leading the projects. Organizations like Mt. Baker Housing Association (MBHA) and the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) are instrumental in developing and promoting access to housing for the community. To help them reach their development goals to create more local housing options, Aspect is currently providing environmental cleanup, regulatory negotiation, and public outreach support to MBHA and SCIDpda on several affordable housing projects in Seattle.

The ongoing Maddux development provides 150+ affordable housing units close to transit in the Mt. Baker neighborhood. The City of Seattle’s recent investment news will help create close to 2,000 affordable homes like this across the region.

Our work with MBHA includes three projects in the Mt. Baker and Rainier Beach neighborhoods. We’re also helping SCIDpda, along with Lake Union Partners and Capitol Hill Housing, on the 3-block Goodwill site in the International District.

Learn more about Aspect’s work to help our partners transform and restore urban sites into affordable housing communities here: http://www.aspectconsulting.com/affordablehousing

Happy Holidays from the Aspect Kitchen!

Click above for a look at a few selected recipes!

At Aspect, we knew we had Engineers and Scientists among us. However, it turns out we also have Bakers, Chefs, Pâtissiers—even Mixologists!

To celebrate the holidays (and really just as an excuse to eat more delicious desserts), we put a call out for our staff’s best dessert recipes.

Boy did they deliver – with 30+ recipes for cakes, pies, tortes, cookies, sweet breads, and even a vegan Whiskey Sour (that’s right, that’s not a typo). As good as the recipes are, the stories about why these treats are meaningful to the cooks are just as great. They bring the joys of cooking for one another to life.

Our marketing team put all the recipes together in a cookbook for our staff, and now we are sharing some excerpts with you!

Interested in the whole cookbook? Send us an email and we’ll send you back a PDF of the whole cookbook.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Aspect's Erik Pruneda Speaks on Floodplain Mapping at December 3rd Law Seminar

On December 3, Aspect’s Erik Pruneda, PE, CFM will be presenting on floodplain mapping changes due to climate change at The Seminar Group’s 18th Annual CLE Bootcamp in Seattle. His talk will focus on the impacts of climate change on coastal and riverine flooding and how flood hazards are being represented in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Floodplain Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM).

Robyn Pepin Talks Fish Passage Barrier Prioritization on GIS Podcast

Senior GIS Analyst Robyn Pepin was recently a guest on the GIS-focused podcast Will We Make it Out Alive?

In an episode titled “A Culvert Affair,” hosts Amy and Jen talked with Robyn about the Fish Passage Barrier Prioritization Tool she developed for the Upper Salmon Recovery Board to prioritize which culverts and other obstructions blocking fish passage should be removed first, and how she continues to adapt and improve it as needed for other agencies. Robyn also walks listeners the Flow Network tools she used to create the tool.

Listen to Robyn and other episodes of the podcast here.

James Packman Presents on Urban Environmental Planning to University of Washington Class

Aspect’s James Packman presenting on environmental planning as a profession to University of Washington students

Aspect Senior Hydrologist James Packman presented on environmental planning for the second year to a class in the College of the Built Environment at the University of Washington.

The students in the “Planning as a Profession” class learn about urban planning from a different guest lecturer each week who is a professional working in their field. James presented environmental planning from a holistic point of view—from the skills and interests that lead a person to the profession and the different disciplines working in the industry to the laws and regulations that drive project design, permitting, and building and examples of water-focused planning. His overarching message focused on interdisciplinary skills, and he gave examples of Aspect projects where collaboration between disciplines was vital to both win the work in a competitive consultant market and address the environmental elements.

One example of an urban planning project is Seattle’s SEA Streets Project, which changed several streetscapes in residential neighborhoods to decrease stormwater runoff.

For example, James discussed how planning and executing urban stormwater management projects – such as the City of Seattle’s innovative SEA Streets program in north Seattle – have many benefits: reducing stormwater runoff before it reaches the sewer and downstream water quality; improving habitat diversity; narrowing streets that make cars slower and increase safety, and increase street aesthetics and property values.

For the homework and in-class activity, James introduced the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). In small groups and guided discussion, the students learned about the many environmental planning elements required to complete a SEPA checklist. Through this exercise, they developed a list of skills and areas of knowledge required for each SEPA topic, which will be a valuable reference as they transition into their careers and work in urban planning.

Jill Van Hulle Joins Aspect's Preeminent Water Rights Team

Jill Van Hulle, Associate Water Rights Specialist

Aspect strengthens its water resources practice with the addition of Associate Water Rights Specialist Jill Van Hulle. Jill is a water rights evaluation and permitting specialist with over 25  years of experience focused on Washington state water law, water rights acquisitions, and transfers for public agencies and private industry. Jill will join Aspect’s growing Olympia office, expanding Aspect’s capabilities for clients in the south Puget Sound area.

“Jill is respected by clients, regulators, and peers as one of the most knowledgeable and savvy water rights practitioners in Washington,” says Tim Flynn, Aspect’s President. “We’re excited to continue to introduce Aspect to all the south Puget Sound and clients throughout Washington that Jill has built strong relationships with.”

Jill worked as a water rights consultant for the last 11 years, and before that had 15 years of experience working at the Washington State Department of Ecology. She brings in-depth understanding of many water rights permitting strategies that protect valuable water resources assets for clients. From relinquishment protection strategies to water banking, from new mitigated permits to transfers, Jill is working on innovative projects throughout Washington. 

 “I’m excited to join the Aspect team and honored to be a part of such a talented group of consultants,” says Jill.  “Within my practice, Aspect has long been considered as one of the best firms in the Pacific Northwest, and among the few that truly understand the complex relationship between the water resource practice and the technical world. I love their enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication to both their clients and the environment. Aspect is a great fit for me.”

Aspect Team to Present on Water Rights at Seattle Law Seminar November 20 and 21

At The Seminar Group’s November 20 and 21 forum on Washington state water rights, Aspect’s Dan Haller, Tyson Carlson, and Taylor Dayton will be presenting on a variety of features of Washington’s Water Code.

Dan Haller, Tyson Carlson, and Taylor Dayton will discuss a range of Washington State water rights topics at The Seminar Group’s November 20-21 forum.

As Program Co-Chair, Principal Engineer Dan Haller, alongside Jeffrey Kray from Marten Law PLLC, will introduce both Day One and Day Two sessions. Dan will also join a panel discussion on Day One — along with David Christensen with Ecology and Sara Mack of Tupper Mack Wells PLLC — covering current relinquishment law and legislative themes.

Also on Day One, Project Engineer Taylor Dayton ( Chelan County Conservancy Board member) joins David McClure, Executive Assistant of the Klickitat County Water Conservancy Board, to discuss the past, present, and future of water right transfers from the Conservancy Board perspective.

On Day Two, Senior Associate Hydrogeologist Tyson Carlson joins a panel discussion — with Ecology’s Trevor Hutton and Kittitas County Public Health’s Erin Moore — on Kittitas County’s groundbreaking water bank program.

The sessions will be at the Seattle Hilton and registration is still open.

How to Deliver More Successful GIS Outreach Campaigns at NW GIS in Bend

Conducting a successful public outreach and/or marketing campaign using GIS is more involved than just publishing a web-map. Marketing, communication, design professionals, and a wide range of other professionals are increasingly seeing the value of map-based infographics to promote marketing and communication campaigns. Aspect’s Blair Deaver recently presented at the Northwest GIS User Group on how to conduct a successful marketing campaign that involves GIS. Blair has developed successful story map campaigns and he brought his experience on those to propose marketing tips outside of simply publishing your web map such as:

  • Messaging and Audience

  • SEO/SEM considerations

  • Engagement with marketing, communication, and management colleagues

  • Increasing Virality

  • Measuring Impact

In addition to Blair’s presentation, Aspect’s GIS crew was thrilled to learn their fish passage poster presentation — visualizing Aspect’s fish passage removal GIS tool — won the award for “Best Analysis.”

From left, Parker Wittman, Robyn Pepin, Emelie Crumbaker, and Blair Deaver

Learn more about the conference here.

Exploring the Complexity of Water Rights Investing

The Seattle Times published an in-depth two-part series looking into recent challenges and proposed solutions of investing in water rights in Washington State. The articles spotlight the Chewuch Canal in the Methow Valley and a farm in the Palouse as two examples of different perspectives on water banking, the state’s Trust Water Rights Program, and what it means for the future of water in some of the state’s most sought-after agricultural centers.

Given Aspect’s experience with thousands of water rights projects as well as the majority of the state’s water banks, we welcome discussion on the complex topic of water rights investing in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact Tim Flynn and Dan Haller if you’re interested in more discussion on these topics.


Meet Bailey Rockwell and Rory Kilkenny!

Bailey Rockwell and Rory Kilkenny recently joined Aspect’s Seattle office. Here are five questions we asked to get to know them better…

Bailey Rockwell, Staff Scientist

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

    I’m from Dousman, a small town in southeastern Wisconsin. I knew I wanted to get out of the Midwest, so after graduating from the University of Minnesota, I took a job at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. I fell in love with the mountains and lived in a town in the San Bernardino National Forest for the last two years. Unfortunately, the career opportunities in the mountain towns are fairly limited to tourism, so I had a crazy commute—1 hour up and down mountain roads each way. Despite loving the location, it started getting old, and after visiting friends in Seattle I knew it was a place I could see myself. Seattle really is the best of both worlds, in that there is a great economy but also proximity to mountains and outdoor recreation. I found my job with Aspect and things just fell into place.

  2. What inspired you to pursue stormwater and surface water monitoring? What made you curious about it?

    I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone who has known me long that I chose water resources as my career. As a kid I was always fishing, swimming, or kayaking around lakes and streams. We started noticing bad algae problems in local lakes and I found myself wanting to learn more and more about what was causing it. In college I knew I was interested in environmental monitoring, but it wasn’t until I took a class called “Assessment and Diagnosis of Impaired Waters” that I really knew it was something I wanted a career in. I learned how interconnected every living system is to water and how surface waters can tell a story of what is going on in the area. Soon after, I found the opportunity to work as an intern for the Minnesota DNR in their Stream Monitoring and Surveys Unit and that solidified my path.

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

    I love having a deeper understanding of what is going on in a stream or stormwater system. It’s like a puzzle trying to figure out why parameters look the way they do and where pollutants may be coming from. In stormwater you are often just looking at water quality samples, but with natural environments there are so many different “puzzle pieces” of stream health: macroinvertebrates, water quantity, sediments, banks, water quality, plants, and wildlife. It’s so rewarding to me to really understand what is going on for the betterment of an area.

    What excites and motivates me right now is learning about riparian/stormwater trends in the PNW because my knowledge base is from the Midwest and Southern California.

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

    I spend a lot of my free time trail running, backpacking, and climbing. I’m really excited to see more of the PNW so if you have any recommendations or want a running buddy let me know!

  5. Where would your dream house be located?

    My dream retirement/vacation home would be in Bishop, California, a small town on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, between Yosemite and Kings Canyon. It’s stunningly beautiful and could not be in a better spot for outdoor recreation. There are 14ers, hot springs, world class bouldering, bristlecone pine forests, skiing, and close access to three national parks. It’s a special place, and I would highly recommend it if you haven’t been.

Rory Kilkenny, Project Geotechnical Engineer

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

    I grew up in the high desert of eastern Oregon on a cattle ranch. The first time I came to Seattle was after college nine years ago for a job interview and I haven’t looked back. I love Seattle during both seasons (summer and rain).

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

    I think I gravitated towards consulting in civil engineering because it requires many of the same personality traits and analytical skills that were mandatory when growing up working on a cattle ranch. Both careers require a person have enough observational skills to comprehend a problem and enough analytical tools to solve that problem.

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

    I love the creative thinking and real-world problem solving required to advance a design from concept to completion. Bridging the gap between remediation and geotechnical engineering has given me the opportunity to build and work with large multidisciplinary teams where we can all learn from each other. I get pumped about coming to work when I’m on a team that combines the expertise of geologists, scientists, engineers, and construction experts to deliver creative and effective solutions to a client.

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

    Sara (my wife) and I enjoy the normal Seattle extracurriculars like hiking, snowboarding, and going to music shows. We are also always on the hunt for the next great hazy IPA, so you can frequently find us at Ruben’s, Cloudburst, Urban Family, or Chuck’s Hop Shop. We’re avid Seahawks fans and are looking forward to Seattle getting a hockey team. We love meeting new people and getting dragged into new hobbies.

  5. Where would you like to travel next?

    Sara and I have a goal of summiting Mount Rainier next year, though that seems like a lofty goal right now.

Philanthropy in the Science and Engineering Industry: Our Approach

Like many professional services firms, Aspect promotes a giving back philosophy as a core part of who we are. Defining what philanthropy means to a company brings big-picture questions to ensure an equitable approach that makes the most impact – Is it simply donating money? Is it donating brain power and time? Who makes the decisions on where, how, and when to contribute?

Aspect recently went through a shift in how we approach donations of time and money, which culminated in less a top-down and more of a bottom-up, many voices program: something we call “ACT” or Aspect’s Community Team. We were honored to be featured in the latest issue of Engineering Inc, the American Council for Engineering Companies (ACEC’s) national magazine while we’re honing our approach. Read the feature here.

How does your organization coordinate charitable giving? Any suggestions for best practices?

Let us know and we’ll share your feedback.

Kicking Off a Yearlong Look into Kitsap Peninsula’s Groundwater Supply

Over the next year, one 900-foot-deep well in Silverdale, Washington will play a key role to help forecast future water needs for Kitsap County communities. A unique year-long pumping test led by Kitsap PUD, with support from Aspect, will produce a treasure trove of water data to evaluate groundwater supply, pumping effects on other groundwater sources, and impacts to streamflows. The well will be pumped continuously at a rate of 1,000 gallons per minute and the effects of the high pumping rate will be measured across a 50+ well network. While pumping tests are a common tool in a hydrogeologist’s tool kit, the year-long length of this test is rare. “Hydrogeologist’s dream of doing this kind of aquifer test,” said Joel Purdy of Kitsap PUD.

Read more about this exciting project in this article from the Kitsap Sun.


Major Milestone at Complex Pasco Landfill Cleanup to Remove 35,000 Drums of Waste

The Pasco Landfill Site reached a recent milestone from the State Department of Ecology. Ecology announced plans to remove over 35,000 drums from an industrial waste cell and haul away the worst contaminants for disposal. While the landfill received municipal solid waste from 1958 to 1993, industrial waste was received only during the early 1970s. Since 1992, over 32 entities have investigated and grappled with how to cleanup the Site. In 2014, cleanup planning for the latent industrial waste took a turn with the development of a subsurface fire and product observed at the water table. Aspect's landfill engineering team has been working on cleanup design engineering and strategies at this Site for over 12 years.

See Ecology's video to learn more about this project as well as the current public comment period, now open through October 3.

Aspect Geologist and Parent Welcomes New Blakely Elementary School

Ali Dennison, Senior Engineering Geologist - Photo by Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review

With a new school year upon us, the Bainbridge Island Review has an overview of the last days of construction on Bainbridge Island’s new Blakely Elementary School. Aspect’s Geotechnical Engineering group has been involved with the project since 2016, from initial design phases through construction of the new 51,000 square foot school.

Aspect was founded in 2001 on Bainbridge Island, and we take particular pride in the projects we work on in our hometown. It’s especially meaningful for our Senior Engineering Geologist Alison Dennison—her son and daughter will start third and first grade, respectively, in the new Blakely building. Read more about Ali’s geologic investigations to support the project in the Bainbridge Island Review article.

40 Years and 2,500 Claimants Later: A Big Milestone for Washington State Water

This spring, after 42 years, the Aquavella adjudication is finally closing and claimants are receiving adjudicated certificates.  The importance of the adjudication can’t be overstated. 

  1. It provided certainty in priority dates for water users.

  2. It created the conditions necessary for water banking to thrive in the greater Yakima basin.

  3. It reset the relinquishment clock for water right holders.

  4. It sowed the seeds of the Yakima Integrated Plan, arguably the most ambitious multi-purpose watershed recovery effort in Washington State and a national model. 

Since 2001, Aspect has assisted in proving up beneficial use for adjudication claimants, conducted water studies supporting both permanent and drought transfers, assisted in hundreds of water right transactions, bought and sold water from water banks on behalf of our clients, and are running a water bank in the Yakima basin. 

All of this work was made possible by the hard work of agencies, attorneys, irrigation districts, farmers, cities, counties, and non-profit entities participating in the Acquavella adjudication.  The following video and article provide more context on the history and effort in pulling off this herculean effort.  Now all that is left for Ecology to decide is where in Washington State to go next!