About 150 irrigators - about half of those eligible for the program - signed up. But the state Department of Ecology said Tuesday that water purchased from the Bureau of Reclamation probably won't last. Darryll Olsen, spokesman for the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association, which helped craft the governor's plan, said shutting off the water would result in a lawsuit "in a heartbeat." DOE has already shut off water to some Columbia River irrigators who did not sign up for the plan.

THE WINTER WHEAT CROP IS EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 110.3 MILLION BUSHELS-down 16 percent from a year ago, but still enough to keep Washington the No. 2 winter wheat state behind Kansas. The Washington Agricultural Statistics Service said the yield should be about 63 bushels an acre, or about 10 bushels less than last year's bumper crop.

IDAHO ATTORNEY GENERAL AL LANCE HAS ASKED THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT IN Boise for a summary judgment throwing out the Clinton administration roadless plan that would affect nearly 60 million acres of national forests. (Spokesman-Review, May 16) Last week, Judge Edward Lodge issued a preliminary injunction preventing the plan from taking effect. In court papers filed Tuesday, the state of Idaho asked the judge to make the order permanent. "It's crystal clear. The law's on our side," said Lance's spokesman Thorpe Orton. "We should get a summary judgment and this thing's over." In an editorial today, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer called the judge "misguided" and questioned how he could possibly rule that "the economic interests of local communities and private businesses outweigh the national interest in preserving and managing federal forests."

A RECENT FEDERAL CLAIMS COURT RULING THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST PAY farmers in California for water it took to protect fish listed under the Endangered Species Act could cost as much as $400 million, according to a public land law and policy professor at Oregon State University. (Klamath Falls Herald and News, May 16) "This is the biggest 'takings' claim in dollar terms ever," said Fred Obermiller. Roger Marzulla, the lead attorney in the irrigator's case against the federal government (See NewsWatch, May 3), offered a considerably lower estimate - perhaps $25 million. But Marzulla said the real importance is the impact the case could have on future
government actions. "First of all, it is the first time the federal government has been held liable for any taking under the Endangered Species Act," Marzulla said. He said it is likely to cause a shift the government's policy of taking all the water it wants, "knowing there is a price to be
paid."

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING: Seattle City Light, the city-owned utility, said Tuesday it expects to make it through next winter without any blackouts with a mix of power generated by its own facilities and electricity purchased from the Bonneville Power Administration. (Seattle Times, May 16) Editor's note: Of course some of the BPA power will come from the same Snake River dams that the Seattle City Council, in a resolution last summer, urged be torn down. The council  has never rescinded its resolution.
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* 2000 Washington Farm Bureau. NewsWatch is a daily update on news of
interest to agriculture. Contact Dean Boyer, director of public relations,
1-800-331-3276 or dboyer@wsfb.com, to receive NewsWatch by fax or e-mail.