Central Washington’s Grant, Adams, and Lincoln counties will be impacted by a major water infrastructure project. The largest irrigation system in the region has been proposed by the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program, which recently received funding of about $40 million from the state capital budget.

The significance of this project was emphasized by Craig Simpson, Secretary Manager for the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District. He clarified how the dwindling aquifer levels led to a dual focus on agricultural and city demands. “There’s kind of a municipal and agricultural component to it that both are impacted by the decline in the aquifer,” he stated.

The goal of the EL-22.1 Water Infrastructure Plan is to supply farmers and deep-well irrigators in the Odessa Aquifer Subarea close to Moses Lake with surface water.

It’s a vast region. The aquifer is the only source of domestic water for some tiny towns in that area,” Simpson continued.

Simpson went on to describe the project’s objective, which is to use the Columbia River’s surface water supply in place of groundwater withdrawals.

“We’re replacing a groundwater withdrawal with a surface water supply from the Columbia River as part of the Columbia Basin project’s delivery facilities,” he said.

Simpson pointed out that more resources were required in spite of the budget.

“Although it is a substantial sum of money, it is insufficient to construct the system. Therefore, tens of millions of dollars are still needed to develop the system,” he stated.

There will be a celebration for a new system that was finished this year on Monday.