Evidence of aquifer depletion in east-central Washington had been noted since the mid-1960s. The deep wells were taking water out faster than the aquifer could be recharged.

The aquifer is one of an interconnected system of aquifers beneath parts of Grant, Adams, Lincoln and Franklin counties and provides water for scores of farms, 22 communities and nearly a quarter of a million people.

Grant County is the No. 1 potato producing county in the U.S.

Water supplies continue to decline in the Odessa Subarea, putting the region at risk of losing the vital resource.

Many farms are supplied by canals from Grand Coulee Dam. A huge irrigation project was begun in the 1940s to attract farmers to the area and enable 1.1 million acres to grow irrigated crops.

Some of the farmers who settled there, however, are still waiting for completion of the necessary canals for their 87,700 acres. They have been relying on deep wells— which they were permitted to drill as a temporary measure — while they wait.

The Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP) is an aquifer rescue mission implemented by the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District in coordination with agency partners, landowners and legislators, currently working to exchange — acre for acre — deep well irrigation with Columbia Basin Project water from the Columbia River for those acres.

Kristina Ribellia, executive director of the Columbia Basin Conservation District, said everyone is working as quickly as possible to get farmers onto a more sustainable and reliable water source.

“This will enable us to conserve the remaining groundwater for communities that rely on the aquifer for their water,” she said.

Harold Crose, also with the Columbia Basin Conservation District, is working with the farmers, helping with planning and design to get water delivered from storage behind Grand Coulee Dam.

“It is pumped from the dam into canal systems, and in lateral lines, to change the point of delivery from ground water to Columbia River water. One project has been completed,” Crose said.

“The farms we are working with are now looking at on-farm infrastructure to tie into those lateral lines,” he said. CBCD secured nearly $46 million through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program, much of which is helping support the on-farm side.

“It is a very complex project, involving many different parties — Department of Ecology, East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Agriculture and conservation districts,” Crose said. “It takes a lot of people working together to make this happen. The cost (when complete) just for the infrastructure — pumping plants and lateral lines out to the farms — will be about $500 million.”

At this point there isn’t a projected completion date, because it is dependent upon getting funding to cover the cost, or worst-case scenario, figuring out how the producers can pay for it through other means.

“When we look at the benefits of this project, however, and the production from this land, it’s worth it,” he said. “There is an incredible amount of food produced here, feeding not only the nation but the world.”

Food security is one of the benefits of this project, he said, and the economy of the area depends on water.

“The processing plants, ag suppliers for equipment, and all the other spin-offs are a huge part of the economy, creating billions of dollars and about 30,000 jobs,” he said.

“It is crucial that we get this project accomplished, and the quicker the better,” said Crose.

Much of the West is short of water, but the Columbia Basin is blessed with the huge Columbia River flowing from Canada.

“When this project is fully complete we will only be using approximately 3% of the river flow. If the Columbia River ever goes dry, it is likely the rest of the country will have already lost their water,” he said.