Quincy Groundwater Subarea

Please see Washington State Administrative Code (WAC) 174-124 The Quincy Subarea was delineated in 1969 by the Washington Legislature because the characteristics of the aquifer there necessitated a more involved permitting process. The Quincy Subarea contains a mixture of naturally occurring public groundwater and artificially stored groundwater, which is a result of irrigation from the federal government’s Columbia Basin Project. Ecology manages the permits for the artificially stored groundwater in partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Columbia Basin irrigation districts. Ecology administers the water permits, and those who receive them must enter into a federal water service contract and pay an annual fee to Reclamation. The permits are issued with a requirement that the water must be put to full use within three years.