East Columbia Basin Irrigation District Starting Two Projects in November

The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District is starting work on two projects that they hope will improve the water situation in Eastern Washington.

Manager Craig Simpson said the Warden Siphon project is one of a few siphon upgrades and replacements as they look to upgrade their line down to Scootenay Reservoir.

“You do get some minor incremental benefits. You do get a little more water passed through each siphon.”

They real payoff comes when the works is completed all the way down to the Scootenay Reservoir where they will then be able to ramp up production in a more noticeable way.

Work on the Warden Siphon is expected to take only a few months.

Simpson said work on their EL47.5 pumping plant will take a little bit longer, but it’s a major step in the Odessa Subarea Groundwater Replacement Project which will bring surface water, in the EL47.5 case to 8,200 acres.

“In hopes of not just helping the landowners have a more secure and reliable water supply but also to start that process or continue on the process that we have of trying to remove deep well pumping out of the Odessa aquifer.”

Simpson said that will help the diminishing water table in the Odessa area.

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