Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 20, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Rivers will deteriorate and economic growth will falter without changes in water use, Locke says

PASCO - Washington must change the way it uses water, or it will be increasingly difficult to maintain the health of its streams and rivers, and economic growth will falter, Gov. Gary Locke warned today.

The governor spoke before the Columbia/Snake River Irrigators Association meeting today in Pasco.

"We have a water system that is based on laws that are nearly 100 years old, laws that promoted growth and development when Washington was sparsely populated and largely wilderness - and water was plentiful," Locke said.

"As we enter a new millennium, we are facing challenges that arise directly from our success over the past century," the governor warned. He cited salmon runs facing extinction, over-consumption of water that threatens streams and rivers, and the fact that 650 bodies of water in Washington fail to meet minimum water standards.

"Unless we act, it will become more and more difficult to maintain the health of our streams and rivers. And increasingly, a lack of water availability will limit our economic potential," he said.

Locke called for:

Being more efficient with water and being willing to redirect water from low-priority uses to higher values.

Reusing more water.

Investing in water-storage capacity to hold excess water for dry times.

Accepting the fact that humans must share water with fish and wildlife.

"In short, our ability to secure rural economic development, respond to future growth and restore salmon runs all depend upon our ability to preserve, develop and deliver water," Locke said.

The governor also stressed his efforts to support Washington's agriculture.

"Our combined efforts reflect an agricultural policy that expands international trade, supports the economic viability of the agricultural sector and promotes resolution of water issues in ways that balance the needs of fish and people," he said.

He noted he had pushed the U.S. Department of Commerce to impose tariffs on Chinese apple juice concentrates being dumped on American markets. As a result, a new tariff increased the price of Washington-grown juice apples from $10 per ton to $130 today.

» Return to this month's News Releases

» View News Release Archive