Filling of East Low Canal to start March 22

COLUMBIA BASIN — Filling of the East Low Canal to start the irrigation season is scheduled to start March 22. The East Low Canal serves the Moses Lake, Warden and Othello areas of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, and the Connell (Block 18) area of the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District. Filling the canal usually takes about a week.

Farm water deliveries will begin availability in late March and early April, the district said in a news release. The release said the East Low Canal service area is too widespread to begin water deliveries everywhere at once, so lateral priming work is concentrated in the areas with the most water orders.

Priming of lateral canals serving the East District's Block 49 area, which is supplied by the Potholes Canal, will begin the week of March 27. Farm delivery availability for that area should begin the same week.

Once priming operations begin, the district said, water users should contact their respective watermaster headquarters in Moses Lake or Othello or contact their ditchrider to receive current information and schedules.

— Staff report