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Odessa Subarea Special StudyLatest News...11/01/11 - Odessa Preferred Alternative Announced -- Reclamation and Ecology have selected a preferred alternative for presentation in the Final EIS for the Odessa Subarea Special Study (scheduled for release in 2012). The "Modified Partial Replacement Alternative" would provide 164,000 ac-ft of surface water to replace groundwater from declining aquifers currently irrigating approximately 70,000 acres of land. More info... The ProjectThe U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and OCR are investigating continued phased development of the Columbia Basin Project. The investigation, known as the Odessa Subarea Special Study, focuses on project development for the purpose of replacing groundwater currently used for irrigation in the Odessa Ground Water Management Subarea with surface water. The five year study began in 2006, and will conclude with a planning report and the release of the Final EIS. While this is not a storage study, alternatives include provisions for storage.
OpportunitiesAquifers in the Odessa Subregion are declining. Groundwater has been depleted to such an extent that water must be pumped from wells as deep as 2,400 feet. Water pumped from such depths is hot and has high sodium concentrations. It also requires a great deal of electricity to pump it to the surface. Even deeper wells will be required as the aquifers further decline. The economic vitality of the Odessa Subarea is at risk. It's estimated that $1.1 billion of farm income will be lost when the aquifers decline to a point at which it is no longer usable. The study allows Reclamation and OCR to investigate surface water alternatives to groundwater withdrawal. Once a preferred alternative is selected, work can begin to correct the problem. Expected OutcomesMoving irrigators from groundwater to surface water sources will prevent a $1.1 billion loss to farm income. More Info |
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