The City of Kent, a municipality with more than 80,000 residents in south King County, Wash., owns and operates its own water supply system. That system is composed of both ground and surface water rights, and provides water to meet domestic, commercial, irrigation, manufacturing, residential, fire and life safety requirements of its residents and businesses. The city's Clark Springs Water Supply System serves as its largest and primary water source, which provides as much as 60 percent of the city's total water supply.

The city submitted applications to us and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for Endangered Species Act (ESA) incidental take permits. Kent's applications included a final environmental impact statement (EIS), habitat conservation plan (HCP) and implementing agreement. They're related to water withdrawal and habitat enhancement measures on Rock Creek, tributary to the Cedar River in King County.

We issued the ITP in September 2011. The permit allows the City of Kent to operate its existing and proposed water supply operations in a lawful manner without threat of prosecution for incidental take that may occur to species covered by the permit. The HCP's major goals are to create, enhance, and conserve valuable fish habitat while not compromising Kent's obligation of providing water to meet the health and life safety requirements of its customers. The permit and HCP each have a term of 50 years, and authorize incidental take of three ESA-listed and six unlisted species of fish on 320 acres of covered lands.

Contact:  Jody Walters, 360-534-9307