MLIRD, Port of Moses Lake enter cooperation agreement

MOSES LAKE — The Port of Moses Lake and the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District have approved a memorandum of understanding with the intention of pooling their efforts when it comes to projects of mutual interest. Port Commissioner Darrin Jackson said working together should be both more effective and more cost-effective. 

“Stop wasting tax dollars and unify together and get some projects done,” said Jackson.  

He said both the port and MLIRD have some interests in common and are funded by many of the same taxpayers. Working together allows both parties to do more than they would be able to do alone, Jackson said, especially when it comes to crucial – but very expensive – projects, like the one the two agencies want to tackle first. 

“Obviously, it’s going to be a water project,” he said. “When we’re talking about projects, especially water and sewer and power, it’s hard to comprehend the millions of dollars stuff costs. It’s even harder when you have no money in a budget to set aside to do any of this stuff that we all know needs to get done. When (Moses Lake government agencies) work together, we are a powerhouse. We are the biggest community in Grant County, and we can lead the rest of these smaller cities in a direction to help them too, but we can’t do it by ourselves. That’s why you see us reach out to state and federal (agencies), just like everybody else does. It’s impossible for us to have the funds to get stuff accomplished.” 

Sam Castro, MLIRD general manager, said a partnership will allow the district to take advantage of resources that would be out of its reach otherwise. 

“(The agreement) gives us the authority to work with (port) staff and consultants. The MLIRD is very small. We just don’t have the bandwidth to be in Washington DC or Olympia,” Castro said. “Partnering up with other stakeholder groups will allow us to collaborate on future projects.” 

The MLIRD has a “superseding certificate of water right” that allows it to use up to 50,000 acre-feet of water for use within the district boundaries, according to the memorandum of understanding approved by the port commissioners Monday. Some qualifying MLIRD property is within the port boundaries, and district officials wanted help to develop existing water rights and find others, according to the MOU. 

The two agencies will work together on getting legislative and agency approvals to use the water for further development in the Moses Lake area. The port will pay some of the costs, and the MLIRD will provide information on the work that’s been done so far. Port commissioner Kent Jones said the agreement is the best way to collaborate. 

“State law doesn’t allow us to arbitrarily start working together and spending money together on projects and everything,” Jones said. “You have to have an agreement to go into that. This is the easiest way that I know to establish what that agreement might look like.”  

Castro told port commissioners that he thinks the agreement benefits both parties.

“We’re very grateful,” Castro said. “There’s no question that partnerships are the keys to our success. And the reality is, the constituents are the same, whether they’re MLIRD or (the port).”