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October 6, 2015

Irrigation district gets 40-year renewal

OTHELLO — The board of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District approved a 40-year renewal of the master water service contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

The bureau owns the water right and infrastructure of the Columbia Basin Project including Grand Coulee Dam, Banks Lake Reregulating Reservoir, Potholes Reservoir as well as canals and drainage systems. Since 1969, the bureau has contracted with three irrigation districts to operate and maintain the facilities.

The early negotiation of a contract extension was a result of ongoing work on the Odessa Ground Water Replacement Program. Work started in late 2013 to replace deep-well irrigation with water supplies from the Columbia Basin Project on 87,000 acres.

A $26 million grant from the Department of Ecology-Office of the Columbia River allowed the district to continue construction on East Low Canal, including two siphons.




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