In August, voters on the West Plains will decide whether to tax themselves to protect their source of drinking water. The ballot measure proposes to create the West Plains Aquifer Protection Area.
Washington state law allows counties to form aquifer protection areas to collect money and fund activities related to protecting groundwater within a certain area. The county has operated the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Protection Area for about 40 years. Last year, nearly three-fourths of voters within its boundaries agreed to reauthorize the tax for another 20 years.
Officials think it’s time to do something similar for the underground water source on the West Plains…