Dam inspections and CRP contract extension update
Washington Ag Today August 5, 2009 The Department of Ecology says it will be inspecting some dams more frequently and step up its efforts to identify and order repairs for unpermitted dams that may pose a risk of flooding to downstream homes. The intensified public safety program is funded by an increase in dam inspection fees approved by the 2009 Legislature. Ecology is responsible for inspecting dams holding at least ten acre-feet of water, which include frost control ponds and dairy waste lagoons. In the past two years the department identified 91 dams built without permits for which the owners are now paying their fees and obtaining permits. Ecology is working to inspect by the end of this year 90 of another 103 structures that appear to be unpermitted significant hazards. The largest number are in Yakima, Franklin, Skagit, Kittitas, Whitman and Clark counties. Earlier this year the USDA offered three to five year extensions on about 1.5 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program land for which contracts are expiring this fall. Farm Service Agency administrator Jonathan Coppess says the acceptance deadline for the offers was June 30th. Coppess: “The numbers we see, initial reports we have about 700-thousand acres have accepted an extension offer.” Coppess says FSA believes as county offices are able to load up all the data the total acreage of contract extensions will come close to 1.5 million acres. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network. ?
