Hirst Fix Finally Approved

After nearly a year of intensive negotiations, an agreement was reached on a Hirst water rights fix and Thursday evening, lawmakers passed the bill from the House floor.  The decision last week was not only a relief in Olympia, but across the entire Evergreen state.

“This evening, we were able to get passed with bipartisan support in both chambers a permanent solution that provides permanent legal reliable water to property owners throughout Washington state,” said Representative David Taylor of Moxee.  Taylor was  the House Republican chief negotiator on the Hirst water solution.

Since October of 2016, certain rural property owners across the state have been in limbo, finding it very expressive to drill a well on private property.  Taylor says the new Hirst fix retains 1998 water law in seven of the state’s 15 critical water basins, but with some reductions of per gallon usage.  It protects legal access to water for pre-existing wells. It returns water management from the counties back to the Department of Ecology.

“You can go and get a building permit tomorrow and you can drill a well tomorrow. There’s some limitations on the gallons-per-day usage. But the fact of the matter is if you own property and you’ve been in limbo waiting to get a building permit, you can move forward because we have taken care of the obstacle the Supreme Court has created.”

Once the Hirst fix was approved, the House and Senate voted to approve and send to Governor Jay Inslee a capital construction budget, along with the bond bill.

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