Water dominates discussion between governor, Othello mayor

OTHELLO — Declining groundwater throughout the Columbia Basin and how municipalities are impacted were the key topics of discussion during Gov. Jay Inslee’s 1 1/2-hour meeting with Othello mayor Shawn Logan and his staff on Saturday.

Logan outlined the City of Othello’s water supply strategy to Inslee, who along with Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler (R-Ritzville) and Rep. Mary Dye, who also serves the 9th District, sat in on the discussion.

“I think the governor had a lot of questions answered here tonight, not only from the municipal perspective, but from industrial, but from the private industry,” Logan said. “Developing awareness is probably one of the best things you can do with elected officials, because when the issues come up later on they have an awareness to make better decisions.

“The water problem is bigger than the money they have to solve, so we help from our state and federal government and I think we demonstrated tonight that we have both a plan and a strategy.”

Gov. Inslee was active in the discussion, which also included Othello council member John Lallas, who is a member of the city’s water committee, along with city administrator Wade Farris, mayor pro tem Genna Dorow and consultants Tim Glynn with Aspect Consulting, and Craig Simpson with East Columbia Basin Irrigation District.

“There seems to be a good technological solution that appears to be available. It sounds like there’s been a good assessment of going through the steps to make sure that’s the case, test wells, feasibility studies. It didn’t appear to be a slap-dash effort,” Gov. Inslee said. “The fiscal challenges are obviously considerable. It was an impressive presentation. I can’t put a seal of approval on anything, but I learned a lot tonight.”

“I have a good feeling about this because I grew alfalfa for 15 years and living next to Tree Top, so I understand industrial usages, understand agriculture irrigation, so I hope we can come to a solution.”

Sen. Schoesler said a better understanding to a vital need is always a positive and saw Saturday’s meeting as a step in the right direction.

“I learned something new today. I think reinjecting water into strategic locations and reducing consumption is good for our neighboring communities,” he said. “The Odessa aquifer replacement water out there is critical for the entire region and economy and livelihood.”

The new Lind Coulee Siphon complex began delivering Columbia River water in July to hundreds of Warden-area deep-well irrigators now relying on the Odessa Subarea.

The new siphons are part of a Columbia River water program to provide some relief for the declining aquifer in the Odessa Subarea, which stretches down to north Franklin County.

Groundwater has been so depleted that water must be pumped from wells as deep as 2,400 feet, requiring substantial electricity to get water with high sodium concentrations. The aquifer has dropped by as much as 200 feet since 1980.

“Tonight gave us an opportunity to raise the awareness of the water supplies in our area. It’s municipal, it’s agriculture and it’s all the same aquifer,” Simpson said. “Everybody in our region understands we have a problem with declining groundwater.

“We have a declining aquifer out there that supports all the processing plants. If that goes away, then you lose supply for existing plants. That affects 1,000 employees out of Othello’s working population. That’s huge, that’s apocalyptic for Othello.”

Over the winter the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District oversaw construction of two siphons nearly 15 feet in diameter that stretch nearly 4,500 feet underground south of Interstate 90.

The work was done in partnership with the Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Columbia Basin Project.

Rodney Harwood can be reached at 509-765-4561 ext. 111 or businessag@columbiabasinherald.com.