Cantwell’s Yakima Bill Represents a New Era in Water Management
Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced legislation to authorize the initial phase of the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Plan. The bill and the plan it implements will dramatically enhance the sustainability and resilience of the Yakima River Basin, particularly in the face of climate change. Specifically, the bill provides for improved water infrastructure and storage, water conservation and ecosystem restoration, and construction of fish passage at two dams, which will restore fish runs that have been blocked for more than a century.