05/16/06 Reclamation meeting on Potholes Reservoir

Washington Ag May 16, 2006 The Bureau of Reclamation is holding an open house this afternoon to explain a plan to study supplemental methods to increase the reliability of transporting water from Banks Lake to Potholes Reservoir. Bill Gray, Deputy Area Office Manager for the Bureau, explains why the study is being conducted. Gray: "The reason we need to do this is that the project has just matured over the last 20-25 years. We have additional lands that have come in in the south end that is an additional draw on Potholes Reservoir. We have increased efficiencies throughout the entire project which means less return flow to Potholes Reservoir which is the source for the South District. So we have got to be able to get this block of water down to the reservoir by June 1st in order to ensure it is there and to move it to the reservoir before the East Low capacity is taken up with deliveries to other farms." Today's meeting is at Reclamation's Ephrata Field Office from three to six p.m. A new study of pollution in the South Fork of the Palouse River and its tributaries is about to get underway and the Department of Ecology is holding a public meeting this Wednesday to provide information about the effort. The process begins with assessing the water quality problems and determining the best ways to bring the river back into compliance with water quality standards. That meeting is Wednesday in Pullman at the Hawthorn Inn & Suites at 6:30 p.m. I'm Bob Hoff.