Thurston County has secured a $2. 4 million grant agreement from the Washington State Department of Ecology to purchase approximately 800 acre-feet of water rights from the TransAlta Water Bank, according to county records.
One acre-foot equals 325,851 gallons of water — the equivalent of what two to three average households use annually. The purchased water rights will be permanently dedicated back to the Lower Skookumchuck and Chehalis rivers.
The investment is designed to meet state requirements that new permit-exempt wells — typically used by rural homeowners — offset their impact on existing water supplies. By securing these water rights, the county can allow new wells while protecting river flows.
Separately, Thurston County and the Thurston Conservation District were awarded a $489,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to support salmon recovery planning in South Puget Sound. County officials also highlighted a range of 2025 accomplishments in a year-end report, citing millions of dollars secured through federal and state partnerships and the deployment of bond funds toward infrastructure and community services.