Tag Archives: water

Schoesler praises state capital budget passed by Legislature

State Sen. Mark Schoesler, the Senate Republican leader on the capital budget, issued this statement after the Legislature passed a new state capital budget for 2023-25. It funds the construction and maintenance of state buildings, public-school matching grants, higher-education facilities, public lands, parks, water infrastructure and other assets.

“This is a win for the people of Washington. It is truly a statewide budget that lives within our means and funds the priorities of government.   

“This capital budget responds to needs all throughout our state and provides funding for important projects in a wide variety of categories, from affordable housing to K-12 and higher education, from water supply and water quality needs to salmon recovery, state parks and outdoor recreation.

“I’m pleased by the support for the many projects that will help our colleges and universities, and especially glad to see money for school seismic-safety grants, since Washington is in earthquake country. The funding for water-supply projects, which benefits agriculture and other water users, is a big plus as well.

“Our capital budget takes a statewide approach, as it should. It will benefit many communities throughout Washington.”

Overall, the state capital budget (Senate Bill 5200) appropriates a total of $9 billion in spending, including nearly $694 million for affordable-housing projects; $872 million for K-12 education projects; $1.5 billion in total funding for higher education; $884 million to address behavioral-health needs; and $2.4 billion for natural-resource projects that address water quality and supply, salmon recovery, outdoor recreation and conservation, state parks, state trust lands and more.

The Senate passed the capital budget 48-0 today after the House approved it 96-0 on Friday. It now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee for his consideration.

Schoesler, R-Ritzville, serves the 9th Legislative District.

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to end tomorrow.

Sen. Mark Schoesler

Schoesler says Washington drought emergency declaration “long overdue”

State Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, says he is relieved that Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration today finally announced a drought emergency declaration for eastern Washington as well as most of the west side of the state, but Schoesler pointed out the governor should have declared a drought emergency for eastern Washington several weeks ago.

“While the governor’s drought declaration is welcome and expected news, it is long overdue for our part of the state,” said Schoesler, a wheat farmer whose 9th Legislative District includes several counties that have faced drought conditions for months. “Farmers throughout eastern Washington have known since early this spring that we are facing a serious drought problem in our region, and the very hot and dry summer so far has just made it worse. It’s nice that the governor is finally recognizing how serious this problem really is for both sides of our state. But it’s disappointing and frustrating that it’s taken him this long to recognize and act on a problem that we’ve seen and endured in our region for months.”

According to a news release today by the state Department of Ecology, which issued the drought emergency declaration, a drought emergency means water supply is projected to be below 75 percent of average. A formal drought declaration authorizes DOE to take certain measures for the purpose of providing emergency drought relief:

  • Expedite processing for emergency drought permits.
  • Process temporary transfers of water rights.
  • Provide funding assistance for public entities.
  • Hold public education workshops.

“Several weeks ago, wheat officials wrote to the governor, asking him to declare a drought emergency for eastern Washington, but DOE responded by saying the state wouldn’t make a drought declaration. During the news conference today announcing the drought emergency declaration, the governor was asked why he previously rejected farmers’ requests for such a declaration. He said he needed to wait for scientific information on it to ‘mature.’ His response is ridiculous, because over in our part of the state, we’ve seen the effects of the drought for months. While I’m glad Jay Inslee is finally taking action on this drought, he should have acted much sooner.”

Inslee said the Everett, Seattle and Tacoma metro areas are excluded from the drought emergency declaration. The DOE news release said the three central Puget Sound cities “are expected to have sufficient water storage to meet residential and commercial needs through the summer, and to maintain adequate water levels in nearby rivers to protect fish.”

Schoesler joins in celebrating new water-delivery system near Warden

An event yesterday celebrating a new water-delivery system at the EL 47.5 pump station, located several miles from Warden, attracted several officials, including 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler.

“This new water-delivery system is a key part of ongoing efforts to provide needed irrigation water for agriculture without relying on the Odessa aquifer, which is dangerously low,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “I was pleased to join others in celebrating the new addition to this needed irrigation system for the region.

“As farmers in the Columbia Basin and elsewhere know, you can’t grow crops without water. The serious possibility of not having enough water to irrigate crops would not only be devastating for this part of the state, but it would cause a huge hit to Washington’s economy, which relies on agricultural exports.”

Schoesler was among several speakers at the event. Other speakers included Duaine Anderson, board president of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District; Mark Maynard, Ephrata field office manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Tom Tebb, director of the Columbia River for the state Department of Ecology; and Derek Sandison, director of the state Department of Agriculture.

The new two-year state capital budget recently approved by the Legislature includes $21 million in funding for the Odessa groundwater replacement program. This program will help provide irrigation water for the part of the Columbia Basin that has relied on the Odessa aquifer, which is being depleted slowly but surely.

According to the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, the new water-delivery system will reduce the depletion of the Odessa aquifer’s groundwater by up to 73 million gallons a day. Go here to learn more about the new 47.5 delivery system.

CAPTION: Sen. Mark Schoesler speaks during a windy ceremony celebrating a new water-delivery system at the EL 47.5 pump station near Warden.

Columbia Basin Development League presents Schoesler with award

State Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, has received an award from the Columbia Basin Development League for his longtime legislative efforts on behalf of communities and irrigators in the basin area.

The organization presented Schoesler with its Perseverance Award Tuesday during its 55th annual meeting, held in Moses Lake.

“The league chose Senator Schoesler to receive the Perseverance Award for demonstrating the ability to fight for his constituents and the region, no matter the odds,” said Vicky Scharlau, the CBDL’s executive director. “We appreciate the longstanding commitment Senator Schoesler has provided to his district, especially irrigators and communities desperate for a reliable source of water.”

“I’m very honored to receive this award,” said Schoesler. “For the Columbia Basin to not only survive but thrive, it needs enough water for both communities and an agriculture industry that provides many jobs. That’s why I’ve devoted so much time and energy to finding ways to help this area meet its water needs. With the help of many individuals and organizations like the CBDL, we’ve accomplished quite a bit, but there is more to do.”

Schoesler is the sixth recipient of the award, which was created by the CBDL in 2011. He joins other recent recipients, including former 4th District U.S. Rep. “Doc” Hastings and state Department of Agriculture Director Derek Sandison, who formerly served as director of the state Department of Ecology’s Office of Columbia River.

The Columbia Basin Development League is a nonprofit organization that has supported the Bureau of Reclamation’s Columbia Basin Project and its future development since 1964.

Schoesler represents the 9th Legislative District, which covers all or part of Adams, Asotin, Franklin, Garfield, Spokane and Whitman counties.