Solution for plight of irrigators may be near

MOSES LAKE - Irrigation water in the Columbia River Basin, its most efficient use and expanding service to replace some of the groundwater wells in the Othello area was the topic of conversation at the monthly meeting of the Grant County Economic Development Council.

Craig Simpson, director of the East Columbia Irrigation District in Othello, said local irrigation districts have been working on plans for about seven years. The goal is to reduce the reliance on groundwater wells for irrigation in the Othello area.

There is concern about the depletion of the aquifer, he said. In fact, farmers are converting some land back to dryland production because of the lack of groundwater, he said.

The final environmental impact statement on the proposal is expected to come out in September, Simpson said. The EIS will include its conclusions on whether or not the project's benefits would be worth the cost. No one knows what the report will say, Simpson said, but it's expected to conclude the benefits will outweigh the costs.

The existing canal was designed so it could be enlarged, and under the proposal it would be enlarged from Interstate 90 past Warden and Othello to the Scootney Wasteway, Simpson said. The irrigation district and local farmers would form Local Improvement Districts (LID) to build the pumping stations, he said.

In answer to a question, Simpson said planners have been focusing on irrigation water, not commercial or residential users. But water is allocated for municipal and industrial uses within the project. Any water used for drinking would have to be treated first, he said.

The Quincy, East and South irrigation districts have been working on a project to conserve water and pump it south for use in the Odessa area, to reduce that area's reliance on groundwater.

There's water available for the project, but it depends on contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and the irrigation districts, and those negotiations are stuck, Simpson said.

In answer to a question, Simpson said the two sides can't agree on who indemnifies the Bureau of Reclamation for its actions.