Washington Water Needs: A Focus on Regional Impacts Columbia Basin Project

Who, What, Why? Since 1964 Nonprofit Support development of Columbia Basin Project Protect water rights Promote benefits of Project

Columbia Basin Project: WHAT? United States Bureau of Reclamation project Conversion of wasteland into land suitable for use of habitation or cultivation 1933 President Roosevelt Decision: Funds Appropriated Build Grand Coulee Dam 1935, 1943 Authorized by Congress Renamed, reauthorized

Grand Coulee Dam Construction

Columbia Basin Project: WHY? Conversion of wasteland into land suitable for use of habitation or cultivation Multi-Purpose Benefits Power Flood Control Municipal & Industrial Uses Irrigation Fish/Wildlife Recreation

Columbia Basin Project: BENEFITS Power Pacific Northwest, Canada Flood Control Portland, OR Municipal & Industrial Uses Moses Lake, Othello, Warden, Bruce, Pasco, Connell, Quincy, Ephrata Irrigation Central Washington agriculture Recreation Lake Roosevelt, Banks Lake, Moses Lake, Potholes Reservoir Fish/Wildlife Habitat

Columbia Basin Project: IMPACT Largest hydroelectric facility in US $950 million: Power generated annually 1,029,000 acres Roughly 2x size of Delaware!! $1.5 Billion: Irrigated crop production value 3 million recreational visits annually $50 million Over 140 lakes, ponds, reservoirs Compared to 35 lakes before development

Columbia Basin Project: IRRIGATION

12 pumps lift water from Lake Roosevelt to Banks Lake for irrigation storage

Main Canal downstream of Pinto Dam

CBP Irrigation: STATS 1,029,000 authorized acres Grant, Adams, Franklin, Lincoln, Douglas counties 671,000 irrigated = 65% 3 Irrigation districts 300 miles: main canals 2,000 miles: laterals 3,500 miles: drains/wasteways 2% of Columbia River flow

Water = Crop Diversity = $1.5 Billion Al falfa Wheat Corn (feed) Apples (fresh) Apples (processed) Potatoes-(late and early) Hay (Other) Timothy Hay Beans-Dry Sweet Corn (Processed) Pasture Grapes (wine) Grapes (juice) Peas (green) Grass (seed) Corn- (seed) Silage Asparagus Alfalfa (seed) Cherries (fresh) Cherries (processed) Onions –Dry Peppermint Beans (Processing) Peas (seed) Sweet Corn (Fresh) Spearmint Peaches Beans (seed) Carrots Nursery Carrots (seed) Buckwheat Onion (seed) Radish (seed) Triticale Mustard Seed Pears Watermelon Coriander (seed) Nectarines Oats Sod Sunflowers (seed) Sugar beet seed Squash Sugar beets Cantaloupe Barley Apricots Sudan grass Clover-seed Berries Pumpkins Prunes Collard (seed) Turnip (seed) Dill (seed) Flower Seed Sugar Snap Peas Sunflowers Ginseng Artichokes Flowers Asparagus Root Fruit tree stock Sorghum Pumpkin (seed) Plums Oat Hay Canola (seed) Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) Lima Beans Onions (green) Sweet Corn (seed) Parsley (seed) Primrose Oil Kale (seed) Soy Beans Walnuts Tomatoes Hay (new seeding) Kohlrabi (seed) Barley (seed) Echinacea Cat nip Beans (fresh) Canola Leek (seed) Cantaloupe Kale, Endive Herbs - Fever Few, Burdock Cabbage (seed)

CBP Irrigated Ag: PROPERTY TAX VALUE Per Acre--Irrigated Adams County: $1,559 Franklin County: $1,750 Grant County: $900 Per Acre--Dry Land Adams County: $223 Franklin County: $300 Grant County: $204

Columbia Basin Project: DEVELOPMENT 1,029,000 authorized acres 65% developed—irrigated Intended to be phased project 70+ years All principal features completed except East Low and East High canals Authorities: US Bureau of Reclamation, Washington State Department of Ecology, Irrigation Districts

Columbia Basin Project: CRISIS LOOMING In 1960s and 70s Ecology grants permits to dig wells Water source: Odessa Aquifer Not recharging Threat: Water users will run out of water!

Columbia Basin Project: AVERTING CRISIS Decrease use of groundwater! Infrastructure upgrades Lake Roosevelt storage releases Coordinated Conservation Plan Odessa Subarea Special Study

Odessa Subarea Special Study Area within CBP

Odessa Subarea Special Study Ecology and Reclamation partner Replace groundwater with surface water Additional water supplies Expanded water transport systems Final Environmental Impact Statement released in 2012 Record of Decision signed in 2013

Odessa Subarea Special Study: Action Replace 70,000 acres now irrigated by well water Criteria for eligibility: Hold a ground water permit/cert. within Odessa Subarea Land must be within current CBP boundary Land must be suitable for irrigation Landowner must be able to enter into a contract with irrigation district

Who are involved with OGWRP? East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) Contract with Landowners Design, build, operate & maintain delivery systems United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) Contract with District to provide water Operate certain delivery system infrastructure Department of Ecology (DOE) Administer ground water law, issue Secondary Use permit Funding for studies and infrastructure Odessa Ground Water Irrigation Landowners Choose to accept surface water supply from CBP

Next Steps How to deliver OGWRP Water? Optimize existing East Low Canal infrastructure Earthwork, siphons, bridges, wasteways and gates Design pumping stations on ELC and pipeline systems to deep well farmlands Enter into Contracts Financing Construction Build Systems / Deliver Water

Questions? Thank you!