09/12/07 Funds for Columbia River water projects

Washington Ag September 12, 2007 The Washington Department of Ecology is making up to $4.3 million available this year for several water projects on the Columbia River. Ecology spokesperson Joye Redfield-Wilder says the funds are part of the Columbia River legislation passed in 2006. Wilder: "Some of the big projects we're jump starting on are to study how we can get water to some of the farmers out in the Odessa where decades of ground water pumping has led to the decline in the water table. And we are looking at some upgrades to the infrastructure at the Potholes." The Odessa Special Study is getting up to 1.5 million dollars and the Potholes Supplemental Feed Route also up to 1.5 million. Some 30-thousand dollars is available to Columbia Basin irrigation districts to study conservation improvements that would support the Odessa Subarea. Looking ahead, the agency is establishing criteria for a grant program designed to support water conservation projects throughout the Columbia Basin. Bill Pan, professor of soil science and chair of the crop and soil sciences department at Washington State University, has been named a fellow of the American Agronomy Society. Selection as fellow is the highest honor the society can bestow on a member. I'm Bob Hoff.