Step made in support for Odessa aquifer

Ecology releases draft impact statement

COLUMBIA BASIN - A key milestone is about to be reached in efforts to bring new water to the Odessa Subarea.

The state Department of Ecology recently released a draft supplemental environmental impact statement analyzing additional allocations of water stored behind Grand Coulee Dam.

According to the proposal, 82,500 acre feet of water would be released from storage on an annual basis for several purposes: 30,000 acre feet to replace groundwater now used to irrigate agriculture in the Odessa Subarea, 27,500 acre feet to enhance flows downstream of Grand Coulee Dam and 25,000 acre feet for municipal and industrial use along the Columbia River.

In drought years, 50,000 acre feet of water would be released: 33,000 acre feet to support existing interruptible water right holders along the Columbia River mainstem and 17,000 acre feet of storage water to enhance flows downstream of Grand Coulee Dam.

The additional water is being made available through the state's Columbia River Basin Water Management Program, authorized by the state Legislature in 2006.

Columbia Basin Development League Project Director Mike Schwisow said this would be the first new water in the Columbia Basin Project in more than 25 years.

"That will go to start the process of reducing the pressure on the Odessa Aquifer by providing water to up to 10,000 acres of land currently on deep well," Schwisow said.

Applications for permits have been filed with the department, Schwisow said.

Water will be appropriated based on permits the bureau has submitted to the department once Ecology finishes the environmental impact process, which is currently open for comment, Schwisow added.

"Once that process is complete and has what we assume to be a positive outcome, then Ecology will be in a position to act on those water right requests," Schwisow said.

He estimated the process will be completed at the end of August.

"After not having anything happen on the project for so long, this is really a tremendous milestone," Schwisow explained. "It demonstrates that all the parties are serious about their efforts. It is a fantastic first step in addressing the aquifer problem and looking at what can be done on the project."

Schwisow noted the deep well-irrigated area in the project totals about 140,000 acres, compared to the 10,000 acres which would receive new water. By comparison, the roughly 670,000 acres being served by the project were developed over the course of 30 years, he noted.

"This is the first step," he said. "I think the key part, though, is as much as anything with these processes, the first step oftentimes is the hardest one. What this has done is allow us to go through the process of evaluation and analysis of these activities. It's been a restart. I think that's really the critical thing here. It doesn't reduce or impact at all what we're doing with the study. It basically supports that by demonstrating we can make new appropriations."

How to comment

Comments may be submitted to Derek Sandison at the Department of Ecology, 15 W. Yakima Ave., Suite 200, Yakima, WA 98902-3452 or e-mailed to dsan461@ecy.wa.gov. E-mailers are asked to put "Lake Roosevelt Draft SEIS Comments" in the subject line.

Comments can also be given orally or in writing at an open house June 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Coulee Dam Town Hall, at 300 Lincoln Ave., in Coulee Dam.

Comments on the draft will be accepted through June 30.