Lawmakers Praise Reclamation For Columbia Basin Project Funding

The Bureau of Reclamation released its funding projects for Fiscal Year 2019, and several Northwest projects will get much needed funding.  Reclamation will provide $7.1 million for the Columbia Basin Project Ephrata office, allocating up to $2 million for design and oversight to the Odessa Ground Water Replacement Program.  This week’s announcement is in addition to the nearly $2 million in new funds unveiled back in May.

That money will go for the Columbia Basin Project Ephrata/Pasco Pump Lateral as well as the Potholes Supplemental Feed Route, including $750,000 for oversight and design for a pumping plant and pipeline delivery system for the Odessa Ground Water Replacement Program.

“The Odessa Ground Water Replacement Project is critical to ensuring our region has access to the water needed to grow our crops and fuel our economy,” said McMorris Rodgers. “This announcement of $7 million in funding for the Columbia Basin Project, including $2 million for the Odessa aquifer, will help continue to meet our water infrastructure needs. Thank you to the Bureau of Reclamation for their continued commitment to Eastern Washington farmers and our communities at large.”

“Every dollar of additional support for the Columbia Basin Project makes a difference for the future of water users facing depletion of the Odessa Aquifer,” said Rep. Newhouse. “The Bureau’s announcement of up to $2 million for the project is very helpful, and I will continue to make the case for the federal government to support this critical investment on behalf of farmers, ranchers, and water users who are counting on a replacement water source.”

For a complete breakdown of Reclamation’s 2019 budget proposal Click Here.

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