The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) will hold a groundbreaking event on Wednesday, June 10 from 1:00-2:30 to celebrate construction on the EL 80.6 delivery system. This is the fourth Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP) system to begin construction. The EL 47.5 system was completed in 2021, and the EL 86.4 was completed in 2025. The EL 84.7 system is also currently under construction.
The EL 80.6 system will convert 5,862 acres from deep well irrigation to Columbia River surface water. The location of the groundbreaking event can be found here and here:
“Celebrating this important milestone is exciting. We have two systems operating, two currently in construction, and several more in design. We have significant momentum right now and we’re eager to continue decommissioning the deep wells that draw from the aquifer by proving reliable CBP water” explained ECBID Secretary-Manager Craig Simpson.
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, the State of Washington, US Bureau of Reclamation, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and landowners have secured approximately $250M 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.