Odessa solutions:
Water Conservation
An alternative for providing water to the Odessa Subarea involves transferring conserved water from Columbia Basin Project operations to Odessa farms within physical reach of the East Low Canal, the eastern boundary of the CBP. Although the source of supply is more viable than Columbia River diversions, it is unclear how much water is actually available through conservation.
Map: USBR’s Alternative D for delivery of water to the Odessa Subarea would reach 48,000 acres (out of 120,000). This alternative, an option to deliver conserved water, would not require new canals, but would require extension of laterals from the East Low Canal. (Source: USBR Odessa Special Study, p. 25.) Click here to enlarge map.
The Department of Ecology has issued its first Water Supply Inventory assessing conservation potential throughout the Columbia Basin. Hastily done (by legislative request), the inventory nonetheless indicates significant potential conservation savings. The Department’s Columbia River Policy Advisory Group is now considering criteria for prioritizing projects.
ECBID WATER CONSERVATION TRANSFER
An example of a conservation project benefitting the Odessa was completed this year. The CBP’s East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) conserved an estimated 16,276 acre-feet of water via 49 conservation projects undertaken between 1986 and 2004. About 10,000 acre-feet of water is being transferred to Odessa lands that are directly adjacent to the East Low Canal and can be served by lateral pipes. This water will serve approximately 2,400 acres near the easternmost boundary of the CBP.
The ECBID conservation transfer raises several interesting questions.
o Who in the Odessa Subarea benefits? The ECBID board devised a set of criteria and decided which Odessa farms would be eligible to receive water service.
o How much did the public pay for the water conservation projects? Public funds paid for between 15 and 25% of the conservation projects. 20% of the conserved water is to be directed to environmental projects; ECBID makes the decision where the “environmental water” will go; there is no public involvement regarding how this water will be utilized.
o How is the transfer being made? The Department of Ecology processed water right applications to change the place of use from the CBP to specific Odessa farmlands.
o Why the limits on transferable water? Some of the water used on the northern portion of the Columbia Basin Project is delivered (via surface and subsurface drainage) to the southern portion of the CBP for use on farms south of Lower Crab Creek. About 30% of ECBID’s conserved water savings were claimed by this southern sector of the CBP and are deemed ineligible for transfer to the Odessa Subarea.
o Why so little conserved water after 18 years and 49 projects? Good question.
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