PORT TOWNSEND — There wasn’t an inch of movement toward regional sharing of water, but there was far less acrimony than other times the subject has come up, during a meeting of elected officials of Jefferson County’s four largest government agencies on Thursday.
Water and growth issues have caused tension over the past several months, but there was no innuendo or name-calling during Thursday’s 90-minute session.
Jefferson County commissioners and Public Utility District No. 1 commissioners have pushed the idea of the utility district buying excess city water.
The city has said it’s not in a position to even discuss the water sale, fearing such talks might hurt its application for a continuing water right on the Big and Little Quilcene rivers.
City Engineer Ken Clow said the city has until December 2005 to renegotiate its water right from the U.S. Forest Service.
The amount of water in the rivers (known as in-stream flows) appears to be one of the sticking points on getting the city’s permit renewed.
Tribal communities have asked that larger amounts of water be left in the river, which would limit how much the city can withdraw.
“I thought we started in plenty of time,” Clow said of the application.
“But two years later and we’re still cranking on it.”
