OGWRP Watershed Planning Effort Officially Underway
Several partners convened at the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District office on December 15 to launch the OGWRP watershed planning effort. The funding for this effort has been made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL-566). The allocation of federal funding comes through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District to develop a watershed plan that will assist in obtaining future funding for the design and construction of the OGWRP’s remaining large infrastructure projects.
Partners at the kick-off meeting included the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, the Columbia Basin Conservation District, the Bureau of Reclamation, the NRCS, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Department of Ecology’s Office of Columbia River. Collectively, partners met with Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA), the 501c3 contractor selected through a competitive bid process to complete the plan. FCA is a recognized leader in the pursuit of water management solutions that benefit both agriculture and the environment.
As the watershed plan project develops, updates will be made to:
https://www.ogwrp-programs.org/home
https://ecbid.org/ogwrp-watershed-planning-project-pd-566/
Year In Review
2022 was another productive year at the District. Several notable projects were either completed, furthered in development, or initiated. Below is a list of a few highlights. For the full list of accomplishments please visit www.ecbid.org
- Delivered a reliable water supply to landowners, consistently.
- Installed a generator at Wahatis peak that provides reliable continuity of CBP SCADA and alarms during power outages. The generator self-tests with automatic start to avoid routine travel up to the site. Created a District website.
- Received, by supplementary request, an additional $175K for the EL85E Conservation pipeline. Volunteered to be the sponsor for a Small Watershed Plan through NRCS.
- Have navigated and progressed through the process of receiving a grant from the NRCS and then simultaneously signed an ILA with CBCD, to perform the tasks of developing a small watershed plan. The end result will present potential funding opportunities to aid in the development of the OGWRP and decrease costs to OGWRP landowners.
- Contracted for over 8,000 acres of new landowner system groundwater replacement.
- Participated in joint CBP Economic Impact Study.
- Completed inventory of canal level sensors.
- Updated District Rules and Regulations.
- Converted records and payroll to electronic systems.
- Cumulatively over 150 miles of conservation pipelines installed.
View all open positions at: https://ecbid.org/open-positions/ |
