A Western Washington tribe Thursday won a legal victory that will ensure more water stays in the Skagit River to help salmon and steelhead. The decision could affect 6,000 landowners who were allocated water under rules that have now been struck down. That figure includes more than 600 residents with homes that have already been built. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community sued Ecology, contending harm to salmon and steelhead if stream flows were too low. The tribe’s chairman Brian Cladoosby (KLA duhs bee) says this is a huge victory for the Swinomish people and for salmon that need adequate stream flows to survive.Get the Story:
Washington Supreme Court Rules For Tribe In Skagit Case (Oregon Public Broadcasting 10/3)
Washington Court Ruling Means More Water for Fish, Less For Landowners (NWPR 10/4) Press Releases:
Native American Tribe Prevails In Washington State Legal Battle For More Water For Salmon (The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community 10/3)
Ecology director committed to finding water supply solutions in the Skagit Basin after state Supreme Court ruling (Washington State Department of Ecology 10/3) Washington Supreme Court Decision:
Swinomish Tribe v. Washington (October 3, 2013)
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