The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) Board and staff continue to analyze projected OGWRP acreage allocation requests and are now offering another opportunity for landowners to request groundwater replacement supplies from ECBID.
An online form has been developed for landowners and/or representatives who are requesting remaining Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP) acreage allocation(s) in addition to the previous request for remaining acres and can be found at OGWRP Remaining Acres, Second Call. This information is only needed if interested landowners have additional groundwater replacement requests that are not being considered in existing public, or individual landowner, delivery systems. The form can be found at www.ecbid.org
Interested landowners should note the following requirements for all requests:
1. Legal landowner must sign this request, along with the representative if applicable.
2. A $2.00/acre processing fee will be applied to all requests. Requests will not be processed until payment is received in full.
3. District systems are limited to a maximum of 4 miles long, which may mean they are less than four miles from the ELC.
4. A valid water right is required for lands to be included in a delivery system design.
5. Lands to be included will need to contribute $100/acre to begin the design process (landowner funds contributed are credited toward reductions to the OGWRP CDSC). Additional design funds may be needed and are expected.
6. Landowners must be willing to execute a water delivery contract with ECBID to receive CBP water and repay the Construction Debt Service Charge (CDSC) for OGWRP, not to exceed $190/ac/yr for 30 years (currently around $115/ac/yr). The associated state water right for contracted lands will be placed in a superseding status or may be voluntarily relinquished.
7. In addition to the CDSC, contracts will also pay standard O&M rates, tolls, and charges annually, as established by the Board of Directors annually, for the term of the contract.
Requests made through this online form will be accepted through 5PM on June 22, 2026. Return completed forms to: olinden@ecbid.org
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. Since 2004, several partners, including the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District and landowners, have secured $59.4M in funding for OGWRP. The current OGWRP Watershed Planning Project is building on these significant contributions.
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, 169,000 acres are developed and managed by 4,500 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.