Thurston County has secured a $2. 4 million grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology to purchase water rights and protect two local rivers from the effects of residential growth.
The county will use the funds to buy approximately 800 acre-feet of water rights from the TransAlta Water Bank. One acre-foot equals 325,851 gallons — roughly the annual water use of two to three average households. The purchase would permanently dedicate that water back to the Lower Skookumchuck and Chehalis rivers.
The investment is designed to meet state requirements that new permit-exempt wells — commonly used by rural homes outside city water systems — offset their impact on existing water supplies. Thurston County has seen steady residential growth in unincorporated areas, where such wells are common.
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.