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Department of Ecology News Release - March 20, 2008
08-072
YAKIMA – Work just completed on the Frenchman Hills Wasteway will take advantage of spring feed flows and help move irrigation water from Banks Lake to Potholes Reservoir.
A wasteway is a canal that collects irrigation return flows. Improvements were needed on the Frenchman Hills canal to ensure that irrigators served by the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District will receive early-season water from the Potholes.
The project was funded by the Columbia River Water Development Account, managed by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology). Construction costs totaled $275,000.
The Columbia Basin Project (CBP) was designed to capture return flows from irrigation on the northern half of the project for use in the southern half of the project. However, irrigation in the north half does not yet provide enough return flow to fully supply the south half. Thus, additional “feed” water must be delivered to Potholes Reservoir to provide a full supply to the south half.
Since 2004, Ecology has partnered with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to study alternatives for development of supplemental feed routes. In August 2007, the Bureau issued a final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Potholes Reservoir Supplemental Feed Route. The assessment identified two preferred alternative feed routes: expanding the capacity of the existing Frenchman Hills Wasteway feed route, and establishing a new feed route that will utilize the middle Crab Creek channel.
Modifications to the Frenchman Hills Wasteway, west of Potholes State Park near Road C Southeast will increase delivery capacity by 25,000 acre-feet for a total capacity of 46,000 acre- feet, providing sufficient water at the beginning of the season for full operation of the irrigation district.
Later this year, Reclamation and Ecology will make decisions as to when to move forward with the development of the remainder of the Supplemental Feed Route Project.
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Media Contact: Dan Partridge, 360-407-7139; dpar461@ecy.wa.gov
For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/cwp/crwmp.html
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