04/14/06 Revised water standards and agriculture

04/14/06 Revised water standards and agriculture

Farm and Ranch April 14, 2006 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently ruled that the Washington State Department of Ecology's 2003 water quality standards don't sufficiently protect salmon and bull trout. That means Ecology will revise its standards and re-designate a number of streams and reach segments to more stringent temperature and dissolved oxygen standards. And Chris Voigt, Executive Director of the Washington State Potato Commission says that has agriculture, including the potato industry, concerned. Voigt: "Right off-hand it looks there is potential impact to western Washington potato growers in the Skagit Valley with the Skagit River as well as the Yakima. But there is potential for maybe even Lower Crab Creek within the Columbia Basin. So we are kind of doing our own technical review now to see what areas might be affected." Voigt says a requirement for lower temperatures could lead to reductions in water withdrawals for irrigation, dam releases, or increasing vegetation along water ways. Voigt: "So kind of the next step is that the Department of Ecology is looking at the economic impact. They kind of do this on their own. Then in the next couple of months they will open up a comment period and that will essentially last for 180 days. That's where the potato industry will be able to weigh in and give out technical analysis of the situation." That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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