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. The move is designed to protect local rivers and help manage the water demands of new residential development.
One acre-foot equals 325,851 gallons of water — roughly the annual water use of two to three average households. The purchase of 800 acre-feet represents a significant volume of water that will be permanently redirected back to the Lower Skookumchuck and Chehalis rivers.
The county says the investment is an innovative way to meet state requirements that new permit-exempt wells — commonly used for private homes outside city water systems — offset their impact on local water supplies. By retiring water rights rather than allowing them to be used for development, the county can approve new wells while protecting river flows.
In a separate environmental effort, Thurston County and the Thurston Conservation District also received a $489,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to support salmon recovery planning in South Puget Sound.