Irrigating Eastern Washington: Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP)

Student project by Evalena Dalsbo, Zoe Pfeifer, Aliyana Avalos, Roy Leal, Quinn Norton, and Jillian Cadwell

Columbia Basin Project

  • The Columbia River Basin is a major watershed spanning 258,000 square miles. The main water resource is the
    Columbia River which is the 4th largest US river by volume, and 7th longest, flowing over 1,200 miles.
  • The Columbia Basin Project was authorized in 1943 after the construction of Grand Coulee Dam in 1933
  • The first irrigation water was delivered via canal in 1952

Purpose of the CBP

  • Irrigation: Provide surface water to ~1 million acres of agriculture in Grant, Adams, Franklin, and Lincoln counties
  • Hydropower: Generate energy using the Grand Coulee Dam
  • Flood Control: Regulate flow of Columbia River
  • Municipal and Industrial Use: Supply water to growing towns and industries in Central Washington
  • Fish and Wildlife Management: Monitor fish migration and provide flow augmentation

Water System Components

Columbia Basin’s main irrigation districts: Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District (QCBID), South Columbia Basin Irrigation District (SCBID), and East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID). They are responsible for delivery of surface water through the following components:

Gravity Delivery Systems

  • Gravity fed structures and flow control gates
  • Relies on gravity to help push water and maintain flows

Pump Stations

  • House large pumps to withdraw water from canals
  • Feeds water into a pipeline system

Radial Gates (Flow Control Gates)

  • Large gates that open and close to control the flow of water
  • Administered by electric controls via Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)

Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program

Scope

  • Odessa Special Study Subarea contemplated up to 90,000 acres of land that could receive
    CBP water to replace groundwater supplies that have been accessed for nearly 50 years.
  • Upon CBP project completion, eastern area could potentially receive water from East High Canal
  • Upon OGWRP project completion, East Low Canal will serve 70,000 more acres via pump and gravity delivery systems
  • Odessa is only a portion of the land left for CBP project completion

History

  • Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP) has been in progress since 2013, after aquifer depletion concerns began in the 20th century
  • Odessa aquifer is a confined aquifer among basalt layers (not naturally recharged)
  • Water table has dropped up to 14 feet annually since predevelopment and ~200 feet in some areas where water is mineral-rich, costly to pump, and warmer than crops can tolerate
  • Local communities rely on the aquifer for drinking water and municipal applications
  • Due to funding roadblocks and other obstacles, CBP’s intent to irrigate the Odessa subarea via canals and pipelines was stalled, and farmers were granted groundwater rights in the meantime
  • To protect aquifer for municipal applications, OGWRP began replacing groundwater with surface water from Columbia River

Water Use & Conservation

Water is a public state-owned resource managed by Bureau of Reclamation through permits; water rights disbursed based on Prior Appropriation Doctrine

  • 80% of water withdrawals from Columbia River are related to agriculture
  • 3% of river volume, largest out of stream withdrawal, is for the CBP
  • 2.9 million acre-ft of water diverted from Banks Lake at Grand Coulee Dam annually
  • Farmers receive, on average, 3 acre-ft of water per irrigated acre of land each year

Odessa Subarea improves water conservation

  • Irrigation management plans supported by USDA NRCS:
  • Add Mobile Drip Irrigation (MDI): retrofit drip tape to existing pivot or linear sprinklers to water the soil directly
    • Meeting point of cost-effectiveness and water conservation
    • 90% efficient compared to 50-80% for sprinkler systems
  • Encourage use of conservation tillage that minimizes water loss
  • Financial incentives from Bonneville Power Administration for reduced diversions
  • Coordinated Conservation projects run by CBP irrigation districts, funded by state and federal grants matched by irrigation district funds

Project Collaborators

  • Washington State Department of Ecology
    • Funds Main Pumping Plant & Pipeline
    • CBCD and Reclamation Support
    • East Low Conveyance and
    • Pump Plants and Pipelines
  • Bureau of Reclamation
    • Project Use Power
    • Easement Acquisition
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service
    • Currently Funding Pipeline Extensions
    • Public Works and On-Farm Systems
    • WaterSMART and EQIP
  • East Columbia Basin Irrigation District
    • Funds Anything Except On-Farm Systems
  • Landowners
    • Funds Anything Not Covered By Other Collaborators
  • Columbia Basin Conservation District
    • Administers grant funds

OGWRP Implementation Funding

OGWRP received over $200 million dollars from private, state, and federal funding to improve existing and implement new infrastructure. The project aims to:

  • East Low Canal widening
  • Construct 5 new siphons
  • Update 10 existing bridges
  • Install seven radial gates
  • Design and construct
  • pumping plants
  • ▪ Design and construct pipeline
  • distribution systems

Economic Impact of Irrigated Agriculture

The Columbia Basin Project is responsible for nearly $3 billion in crop revenue and 23% of all agricultural production in Washington.

References