Columbia Basin Project

Columbia Basin Project. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The Columbia Basin Project serves approximately 671-thousand acres in Eastern Washington and has been in the works since 1945 with a speculation of taking 70 years to complete. Vicky Scharlau

SCHARLAU: The Columbia Basin Development League has been around since the 1960’s and we actually celebrate our 50th anniversary this year. So the League has been the only stakeholder group that has promoted the Columbia Basin Project and really promoted the completion of the project. We’re about three-quarters completed with expanding the irrigation on to the Columbia Basin Project.

Their annual conference is planned for Thursday, November, 6th in Moses Lake.

SCHARLAU: Each year we have an annual conference that focuses on an issue of particular importance to what we are doing at an advocacy level. Both a state and federal level. So this year our theme is “Investing in Our Future” and the whole afternoon and evening will be speakers that will focus on the Columbia Basin Project and work that is going on currently within the three irrigation districts. As well as speakers from the Bureau of Reclamation to talk about projects that are in play but also about the infrastructure reinvestment to make sure that these project components, that in many cases are at least 50 years old, are really well maintained, well cared for and well funded.

Get more information on the meeting at cbdl.org.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.