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12228 Nyanza Rd. SW * Lakewood, WA
98499 |
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Water Rights, Inc. provides professional and technical water resource
engineering and planning consulting assistance in Washington State with Kris
G. Kauffman, P. E. as the principal. |
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Water Rights, Inc.’s
motto: “Is
your water right?” |
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KRIS G. KAUFFMAN, P. E. Qualifications June, 2014 Mr.
Kauffman is the principal of Water Rights, Inc. and has been a registered Civil
Engineer in Washington since 1970 and remains in good standing under
Professional Engineer License No. 11975.
He graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington in
1965, emphasizing Water Resources course work. He was born in Port Angeles, Washington in
1942. Kris has been President of Water Rights, Inc.
for over thirty years, performing professional consulting in various aspects
of Water Right matters and Water Resource’s Planning, Management and Policy. In
this capacity, he has appeared as an expert or client representative before
various State and Federal agencies, County Water Conservancy Boards, the
State Pollution Control Hearings Board, various State Superior Courts and
Federal District Courts for both Eastern and Western Washington. Separately,
Kris was Chief Engineer for Washington State Parks from 1980 to 1992 in
responsible charge of engineering for their 120 water supplies, six dams, 80+
sewage systems and many Water Right matters, including claims under the Acquavilla
case in the Yakima Basin. Professional work includes field engineering
and design in North America (Alaska, BC, WA, Ore. & Arizona); (West)
Pakistan (1965-1968); regional Engineer for the Washington Department of
Water Resources (later Ecology) for Northeastern Washington, then all of
Eastern Washington, for water rights and flood control permits (1968-1972)
inclusive of representing the State in contested water right cases related to
both surface and groundwater. Kris participated in and supervised the
project and program planning activities in water resources for all 62 basins
in Washington State (1973 - 1980). He
was also in responsible charge of the State's drought response in 1977. He is generally familiar with Surface and
Ground Water Resources throughout Washington State with detailed knowledge in
23 of the principal State River Basins.
He takes part in the Water Resources Advisory Committee’s (WRAC)
ongoing deliberations and actions (generally monthly). In
1979 Mr. Kauffman was appointed to the International Osoyoos Lake Board of
Control (IOLBOC) by the International Joint Commission (IJC) under their 1978
Supplemental Order. He was appointed
again with regard to the 1982, 1985 and 2013 IJC orders. He continues as the longest standing member
on this Board with three colleagues from Canada and two from the U. S.
(Director, USGS Washington Water Science Center and the Commanding
Officer, USACE, Seattle Dist.). Kris has processed a variety of new Water
Rights and Water Right Changes
(emergency, temporary, seasonal and permanent), including Hillis rule
priority cases for Water Right Changes with regard to both environmental and
health exception cases, as well as cases before various County Water
Conservancy Boards for expedited processing of Changes. He is called upon to
assist in establishing the extent and validity for existing Water Rights and
Claims and has also been involved with reimbursable Water Right processing
cases to expedite actions by the State Water Agency. Another aspect of water right and claim
assessment that Mr. Kauffman has dealt with is screening for relinquishment
potential. The administration of
Washington’s water law provides for several exceptions and tolling of
relinquishment of non-used portion(s) of water rights and claims. The adoption of an explicit “determined
future development plan” is one way to toll relinquishment. He has experience
with the type and term of beneficial use, which is of particular importance
in consolidating existing water rights and claims under any new water right
application. Mr.
Kauffman is well aware that one element being expressly considered by Ecology
in their water right decision process this decade is mitigation where there
may be restrictions adopted by rule or otherwise interpreted under the public
interest definitions found under the Water Resources Act of 1971, et al. He has been active at the local, regional and
national level of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He is the past Chair of the Water Laws
Committee of the Water Resource Planning and Management Division of National
ASCE (now part of the EWRI). He is a
founding member and past president of the Washington AWRA Section and the
past President of the Washington Resources Council. He is currently on several boards including
serving on the Washington State Water Resources Advisory Committee and as a
Trustee for the Pierce County Forterra Land Conservancy group. Kris is widowed with three children and
resides in Lakewood, Washington. |
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