Construction is slated to start late next year on another system to deliver Columbia River water to Odessa Subarea farms.
The EL 86.4 system will be 6 to 7 miles long and serve 11 farms on nearly 5,400 acres, said Craig Simpson, general manager of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District.
Construction cost is about $13 million, Simpson said.
The design is in the works. Simpson hopes to have all the regulatory work done and funding in place to begin construction by October 2023.
Overall, about 100 Odessa Subarea farmers face declining water levels in their wells. The goal is to replace the wells with water from the Columbia River.
The EL 86.4 system is a “more simplistic” system compared to others in the project and won’t require a pumping plant, Simpson said.
That makes it “less to struggle with as far as design goes,” he said.
The district is seeking funding through grants, state and federal allocations and borrowing on the municipal bond market.
“We’re just continuing to do the designs and look for funding opportunities that come up that allow us to move forward with more implementation,” Simpson said.
Construction cost is about $13 million, Simpson said.
The design is in the works. Simpson hopes to have all the regulatory work done and funding in place to begin construction by October 2023.
Overall, about 100 Odessa Subarea farmers face declining water levels in their wells. The goal is to replace the wells with water from the Columbia River.
The EL 86.4 system is a “more simplistic” system compared to others in the project and won’t require a pumping plant, Simpson said.
That makes it “less to struggle with as far as design goes,” he said.
The district is seeking funding through grants, state and federal allocations and borrowing on the municipal bond market.
“We’re just continuing to do the designs and look for funding opportunities that come up that allow us to move forward with more implementation,” Simpson said.
