- 10-noon: Overview and update on the OGWRP PL-566 project. Presentation to include project history, current status, and future efforts. Presenting partners include:
- Noon-1:00: Lunch on your own
- 1:00-3:00: Update on proposed changes to application of OGWRP grant funds
A call-in option will be available for those not able to attend in person. For dial-in instructions, or
if you would like to submit a question in advance, please email info@ecbid.org.
The morning session will provide an update on the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program
(OGWRP) Watershed Planning Project. In March, regional partners announced that the OGWRP program was approved and funded for watershed planning through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL-566). The allocation of $775,000 in federal funding will come through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and be used to develop a watershed plan to assist in obtaining future funding for the design and construction of the OGWRP’s remaining large infrastructure projects.
Since 2004, the State of Washington has invested more than $126 million, and the Bureau of
Reclamation more than $45 million, in the development and early implementation of the OGWRP. The
East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) has also sold $16.8 million of landowner-funded
municipal bonds to fund the construction of OGWRP delivery facilities. The OGWRP Watershed
Planning Project will build on these significant contributions.
The afternoon session will provide an update on an ECBID Board motion relating to normalized costs and application of grant funds. During the December 8, 2021 Board meeting, the Directors
considered a motion to “apply grant money to extend systems to use the most amount of acres
economically that can be served by public systems to take deep wells offline”. The Director
explained: “grant money received for delivery systems would be used to build pipelines out
further instead of lowering the overall cost to all landowners.”
“There are several significant initiatives either in progress or being considered at the District. We understand the importance of keeping our landowners, stakeholders, and the communities we
serve updated. We’re looking forward to providing this information and answering questions as they arise,” explained District Secretary-Manager Craig Simpson.
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 the Odessa Groundwater Replacement
Program (OGWRP). The District provides a reliable suppl
