KID REVISES WATER ENTITLEMENT TRANSFER PROCESS
The Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) Board of
Directors has approved a newly updated Water Entitlement Policy.
The new policy allows ratepayers who do
not have access to KID water from a riser to be allowed to “opt out” of their water
entitlements and annual irrigation assessments. Written approval from the
applicable City water utility is a required piece of the application package to
ensure that the city’s water systems are not adversely affected.
Planning Manager Scott Revell said, “This
is a win-win solution for property owners who are landlocked and for the
District. It gives relief to ratepayers who do not have access to KID water and
helps the District manage its water right. It has been a longtime in the
making”. Until 2007, the Bureau of Reclamation did not have a way for the
District to allow ratepayers to relegate (give back) their water entitlement.
Applications must be submitted by June 1,
2010 in order to be taken off the 2011 assessment roll. The lead time is
necessary for the Bureau of Reclamation to process the requests.
The only cost to ratepayers who want to
relegate their water entitlement is the cost to pay off their remaining Bureau
of Reclamation construction loan payment, which is required by the 1982 federal
Reclamation Reform Act. Construction of the KID’s canal system was
financed by the U.S. Government in the 1950s through a 66 year no interest loan
that has 15 years remaining. A portion of each property owner’s annual
irrigation assessment goes toward loan repayment.
Most of the landlocked parcel situations
were caused by developers who subdivided land along a canal or lateral pipeline
but did not provide irrigation easements to each parcel. The state subdivision
law was changed several years ago to prevent the creation of new lots in
irrigation districts without easements for irrigation lines.
The policy does not apply to customers
who have irrigation service and would like to “opt out” of their water
entitlement because of water pressure, water quality problems associated with
the District’s raw Yakima River water or drought related service interruptions,
in part because Richland and Kennewick require a separate source of irrigation
water because they do not have the capacity in their municipal water systems to
handle irrigation water demands.
Relegation applications must be signed by
the holder of a mortgage, for properties that are subject to a mortgage or a
deed of trust.
Property owners who choose to give up a
water entitlement will retain their voting rights in irrigation district
elections.
The new policy also affects property
owners wishing to obtain a water entitlement to irrigate dry-lands and the use
of temporary water transfers. June 1st is the application deadline
for water relegation or additional water entitlement requests.
Water Entitlement Policy
Policy 3 2-2 Water Entitlement
Fee Schedule
Application
Fee schedule
City Relegation Policy
City of Kennewick water relegation policy
Richland
irrigation code
Water Entitlement Forms
Water Entitlement Allocation Form 3.2-2A
Water Entitlement Relegation Form 3.2-2B
Water Entitlement Temporary Transfer Form 3.2-2C
Water Entitlement Combination Form 3.2-2D
City Relegation Acknowledgement Request form
Corporate
Authorization Form
Mortgage Company-Lienholder Relegation Approval Form
If you need more information, please call the KID Customer Service Department at (509) 586-9111 or send e-mail to: info@kid.org.
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