The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) Board of Directors has signed MOUs with seven landowner groups for Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP) delivery systems.
During the February 4, 2026 Board meeting, Directors approved the following:
- Shrag Delivery System
- Wheeler Corridor Delivery System
- EL 54 Delivery System
- EL 56.5 Delivery System
During the March 4, 2026 Board meeting, Directors approved the following:
- EL 4.8 Delivery System
- EL 40.2 Delivery System
- EL 73.3 Delivery System
The signed MOUs allow the District and participating landowners to proceed with development of new OGWRP delivery systems.
The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District began to deliver water on the EL 86.4 system in April of 2025. This is the second irrigation system completed for the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP). The first system, the EL 47.5, was completed in 2021. Two more systems, the EL 84.7 (6,209.8 acres) and the EL 80.6 system (5,862 acres) are currently under construction for 2027 deliveries.
OGWRP is a regional effort to implement the Odessa Subarea Special Study FEIS (2012), which is building the necessary infrastructure for farmers to exchange valid, state-issued Odessa groundwater rights for Columbia Basin Project water. It’s a rescue mission for the aquifer and the landowners and municipalities that rely upon it. This effort will allow the fertile lands within the project to continue to produce food that feeds families around the corner, and around the world, while securing domestic water supplies in the area.
Located in central Washington State, the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District is the largest district in the state, with authorization to irrigate 472,000 acres. Currently, 191,533.9 acres are assessed and managed by 2,802 landowners within the federal Columbia Basin Project. Additionally, the District is involved in the development of 87,000 acres associated with OGWRP. The District provides a reliable supply of water that irrigates the cropland that produces food shipped domestically and internationally.