Olympia approves the interlocal agreement of creating the Deschutes Watershed Environmental Stewardship Coalition

The Olympia City Council has approved a resolution of entering an interlocal agreement with Lacey, Yelm, and the Squaxin Island Tribe to establish the Budd Inlet/Deschutes Watershed Environmental Stewardship Coalition.

At the previous city council meeting, interim Public Works Director Mark Russel said the coalition brings the cities and the tribe together around habitat restoration and improving the biological health of the Deschutes Watershed.

He added that the coalition was previously established in 2011 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which stated the cities' commitments to fund the design, project management, and construction of a restoration project or projects within the Deschutes River/Budd Inlet Watershed.

"The MOU stemmed from water rights mitigation efforts related to drinking water supplies the cities had been pursuing at that time,” Russel said, explaining the delay in establishing the coalition.

“This involves significant collaboration and coordination with Tumwater. Due to the challenges and the ultimate overturning of Yelm's water rights, the coalition's launch had been put on hold,” Russel continued. “Once Yelm's water rights issues were resolved last year, the coalition was able to move forward."

Russel presented the updated MOU, wherein the three cities have pledged a total of $500,000 in seed funding to support watershed restoration projects. "The hope is to use these funds as matching dollars to pursue habitat restoration grants."

Interim Public Works Director Mark Russell briefing the council.

JOLT Staff photo via Zoom

Olympia's pledge would be $167,000. Russell said the funding came from the drinking water utility and was initially allocated for water rights mitigation efforts.

The resolution for the ILA to create the coalition was part of the consent calendar that the city council approved on June 20, 2023.

Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team (DERT) Board president David Monthie lauded the city council for taking action. "It is a major leap forward in stewardship for the entire watershed."

DERT was the environmental representative to a group known as the Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Committee (WRE), which recommended the creation of Deschutes Watershed Council.

According to Monthie, DERT has been working with Tumwater and Thurston County to create that council. "We hope to do that and work together with this coalition."

Councilmember Dani Madrone said city staff is exploring how Olympia can be involved in that effort.

Madrone believes that the coalition and the proposed council could merge. "Part of the ILA is opening it up to other jurisdictions because others within the Deschutes watershed are not currently involved in this coalition. Nonprofit organizations and other interests can be involved."