Columbia Basin Project bill moves forward in Olympia
Six large pumps inside the EL 47.5 pump house draw Columbia River water from the East Low Canal and send it on its way along 8.8 miles of pipe to 8,500 acres formerly irrigated by deep wells. This pump house is just one of many pieces of infrastructure that help provide irrigation water and other benefits to Central Washington.
FILE PHOTO
OLYMPIA — Proposed legislation, House Bill 1752, authorizes the United States Bureau of Reclamation to seek approval to change the number of acres it can irrigate within the Columbia Basin Project to allow a more flexible and sustainable use of water resources, as long as it meets specific criteria.
“What this bill does is it brings water law to match the current technology that’s currently available in our irrigation practices," said Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, prime sponsor of the bill.
Under the proposed legislation the Bureau, currently holding authority over water rights within the Columbia Basin Project will be able to seek approval to modify the irrigated acreage provided that the proposed change does not increase the authorized quantity of rights.
The Columbia Basin Project is a large irrigation initiative to provide water for irrigation enabling agricultural development in the arid regions of central Washington. The project currently spans over 671,000 acres, including the Grand Coulee Dam, Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, and extensive irrigation facilities like the Feeder Canal and Banks Lake.
The CBP currently contains 47% of all irrigated cropland in Washington State. CBP plays a crucial role in electricity generation, flood control, recreation, streamflow regulation, and supplying water for various purposes.
“House Bill 1752 will allow reclamation to apply for a permit to increase acres to be served without requiring the annual consumptive quantity computation. This will enhance food security and the economic benefits of the project,” said Mike Schwisow, director of Government Affairs for the Columbia Basin Project.
Washington currently operates under a water rights permit system which requires new rights to surface or groundwater to be established through a rigorous process.
With HB 1752 applicants file their requests with the Department of Ecology, which evaluates these applications based on a four-part test. This test considers factors such as water availability, the proposed beneficial use of water, potential impairment of existing rights, and the impact on public interest.
Under the proposed legislation, the current system test will be replaced with the four-part test. However, the Department of Ecology said that they are concerned with this move because they said ACQ tests are crucial to understanding water resource management.
“The caution is using this as a precedent, and that’s why we’ve been neutral on this bill. ACQ requirements are generally a key part of our water resource management in Washington. ACQ ensures that water changes are not enlarged during the process of water right change. It is important that this stays in the narrow exemption in HB 1752 and not be a springboard for the ACQ exemptions elsewhere in the state,” said Dave Christensen, the Water Resources and Program Development Manager.
The bill is currently in the Senate Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources and Parks Committee.
If passed the bill will go into effect ninety days after the adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Co-sponsor of the proposed bill, Rep. Tom Dent R-Moses Lake, supports the legislation and said streamlining access to increased acreage will have a positive impact on the Columbia Basin area.
“We have the water, we're not wasting it. So let’s extend it out and that’s what it’s about,” said Dent.
HB 1752 received bipartisan support with a vote of 97-0 and it is currently in the Senate Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources and Parks Committee.
Renee Diaz is a graduate of the University of Washington and is the Columbia Basin Herald’s legislative intern for the 2024 legislative session. She is from the Yakima area.