The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) has announced that issues anticipated to cause possible delays to the start of the 2024 irrigation season have been successfully addressed.
Remedial work performed on the Main Canal near Billy Clapp Lake has been completed and
East Low Canal filling will begin on Wednesday, March 20 as scheduled. Deliveries from the
East Low Canal will begin on March 25 as originally scheduled. There are no impacts to ECBID
deliveries from the Potholes East Canal.
“On behalf of the Board and team at ECBID, I would like to thank the Bureau of Reclamation and our partners at the Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District for their prompt and diligent work to address earlier concerns and ensure the Columbia Basin Project’s Main Canal is back in service and fully operational,” said ECBID Secretary-Manager Craig Simpson.
Last week the Bureau of Reclamation performed routine seepage monitoring along the Main Canal below Pinto Dam and identified a location with higher-than-normal rates of flow. This situation prompted Reclamation to dewater the Main Canal prior to irrigation startup to better understand the source of the seepage water and develop a plan to address it. Moving forward, ECBID crews will assist with upgrades to the monitoring system to improve detection for preventative maintenance activities.
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.
“On behalf of the Board and team at ECBID, I would like to thank the Bureau of Reclamation and our partners at the Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District for their prompt and diligent work to address earlier concerns and ensure the Columbia Basin Project’s Main Canal is back in service and fully operational,” said ECBID Secretary-Manager Craig Simpson.
Last week the Bureau of Reclamation performed routine seepage monitoring along the Main Canal below Pinto Dam and identified a location with higher-than-normal rates of flow. This situation prompted Reclamation to dewater the Main Canal prior to irrigation startup to better understand the source of the seepage water and develop a plan to address it. Moving forward, ECBID crews will assist with upgrades to the monitoring system to improve detection for preventative maintenance activities.
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.
