Groundwater Replacement Program approved and funded

Program has been approved and funded for watershed planning through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act.

The allocation of $775,000 in federal funding will come through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and be used to develop a watershed plan to assist in obtaining future funding for the design and construction of the program’s remaining large infrastructure projects.

Since 2004, the state of Washington has invested more than $126 million, and the Bureau of Reclamation more than $45 million, in the development and early implementation of the program. The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District has also sold $16.8 million worth of landowner-funded municipal bonds to fund the construction of the program’s delivery facilities. The program’s Watershed Planning Project will build on these significant contributions.

“This funding illustrates beautifully how we can partner to achieve sustainable water resource solutions for farmers, industries, communities and the natural environment,” said Melissa Downes, Washington state Department of Ecology financial and projects section manager for the Office of Columbia River.

“The program represents a great opportunity to rescue an aquifer from decline by finding an alternative Columbia Basin Project water supply for existing withdrawals. This will secure more water for our local communities and ensure sustainable agricultural production that many of those same communities rely upon for their economic prosperity,” explained Craig Simpson, Secretary-Manager of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District. “It is fantastic to see our State Conservationist, Roylene Comes At Night, support this endeavor and to have USDA and NRCS agree with its value by including it in the Jobs Act investments. The boost that a watershed plan will bring to achieving our Program’s goals can’t be overstated.”

The next steps will be organizational and informational meetings with agencies and producers to develop the watershed planning process and to provide information on organization and producer participation. The meetings will be announced via the Odessa Watershed Program website and East Columbia Basin Irrigation District website.

Partners in this effort are the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Dept. of Ecology’s Office of Columbia River, the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the Grant County Conservation District and East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, with tremendous support from elected officials, the Columbia Basin Development League and local producers.

"This funding approval marks a significant milestone along our long journey toward improving water quantity for our producers in Central Washington," said Roylene Comes At Night, Washington State Conservationist. "We are very excited to continue working closely with our partners and producers to create a watershed plan worthy of securing the funding needed for construction."

The federally designated Columbia Basin Project is the water source for thousands of farmers. Decades ago, the Department of Ecology issued farmers in central Washington temporary permits to use groundwater to irrigate over 100,000 acres. This cropland irrigates the land that produces food shipped across the United States and internationally.

Groundwater has been declining in the Odessa Subarea for many years, putting the region at risk of losing this vitally important supply. Farmers who rely on water for their livelihoods and communities that depend on the aquifer for drinking water are at risk of losing this critical resource. This impacts the domestic, commercial, municipal and industrial water supply for over 180,000 people and more than a dozen communities.

The program is a regional effort to implement the Odessa Subarea Special Study FEIS (2012), which is building the necessary infrastructure for farmers to exchange valid, state-issued Odessa groundwater rights for Columbia Basin Project water.