Water is key to jobs, money, growth

MOSES LAKE - A water agreement is estimated to provide 35,000 new jobs and add $3 billion to the state's economy in the coming years.

The agreement signed Tuesday near Moses Lake allows more water for 100 communities along the Columbia River.

It's significant because only a handful of water rights have been issued in the last 15 to 20 years, said Joyce Redfield-Wilder, a state Department of Ecology spokesperson.

Some of the communities are yet to be determined, but it is known that the "Quad Cities," of Richland, Pasco, Kennewick, and West Richland, will have its permit processed first as a result of a legal settlement, according to Ecology.

Others applying for more water rights include Sunland Estates Maintenance, Grant County PUD, Crescent Bar Inc., Desert Aire Owners Association, City of Grand Coulee, Chelan County PUD and Avista Corp.

Ecology will try to complete 50 applications by the end of the year, explained Redfield-Wilder.

Area and state officials met Tuesday at the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project's Weber Siphon Complex to watch the water agreement signing between Washington Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant and Bureau of Reclamation Pacific Northwest Regional Director Karl Wirkus.

The water will be released next year through the Weber Siphon Complex, which is being built to deliver 30,000 acre feet of Lake Roosevelt water to 10,000 acres of land now watered by declining underground wells.

The improvements fix a bottleneck by adding a second barrel to the siphon.

State funds totaling $800,000 paid for the design of the second siphon. Washington state's federal legislators and Reclamation obtained $36 million in stimulus funds for the construction.

Water is to be released annually from Lake Roosevelt, with 27,500 acre feet for streams and salmon, 30,000 acre feet for Odessa area farmers and 25,000 acre feet used as water rights to municipalities and industries.

Joe Gross, a 40-year farmer with the Warden Hutterian Brethren, grows potatoes, wheat and peas. He waters the crops with underground water.

Lately he's dug so deep for water all the wells on the top are drying up. He went down to 2,500 to 3,000 feet when digging.

"I want some water," he said. "If you want to raise spuds, you need water. Potatoes don't want dry land."

Bill Gray, former manager of the Ephrata Bureau of Reclamation office, said the work on the Weber siphon was due to strong partnerships and a common goal.

Karl Wirkus, the bureau's Pacific Northwest regional director, said 30 years ago, the bureau was just finishing the first barrel of the Bacon Siphon.

"Now here we are today," he said. "It's just incredible to be able to get to this point."

John Keys, the late director of the bureau, once talked about how future water projects would be done as a partnership, Wirkus said.

Sturdevant said it struck him that the art of compromise was back in style.

"It shows what can happen when you meet each other halfway," Sturdevant said.

State Agriculture Director Dan Newhouse said he has to caution everyone, as the work was just a step and they have to commit to keep building infrastructure.

He thanked Gov. Chris Gregoire for bringing commitment, leadership and resources to make everything a reality.

Mark Booker, of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, said the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project is one of the areas with an adequate supply of water.

Booker is also a farmer and grew wheat this year instead of sweet corn because it needed less water.

"But sweet corn will generate more economic activity," Booker said. "I urge you to move forward and generate more economic activity."

Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, said her seven grandchildren make her passionate about her agriculture and water work.

She said Gregoire shows how important the east side of the state is to her.

"I've appreciated her ability to bring folks together," Warnick said.

Gregoire said the state's cities struggled.

"We had more than one city that had no water," Gregoire said.

She also spoke of how lawsuits against water projects bring nothing but acrimony.

In 2006, representatives from business, agriculture and the environmental communities sat down at the table to discuss water issues. The Office of the Columbia River was formed to find new water supplies.

Gregoire pointed out how agriculture is the state's biggest employer, with 160,000 people employed in the industry.

The state produces 300 different crops, "which helps us feed the world," she commented.

Alice Parker, former longtime executive secretary of the Columbia Basin Development League, said she wants this to be the first step in the right direction.

Adams County Commissioner Rudy Plager said continued development of the project has been one of his big concerns.

Sean Logan, of Othello's Concerned Citizens' Coalition, said the event was right up his alley, as it pertained to the development of irrigated farmland.