HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence - BOCC2
May 25, 2021
The Honorable Maria Cantwell
511 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 205 10
Dear Senator Cantwell:
GRANT COUNTY
OFFICE OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
P O BOX 37
EPHRATA WA 98823
(509) 754-2011
The Grant County Board of County Commissioners full supports the Con '
Y pp Congressionally Directed
Funding request submitted by the Columbia Basin Development League for a
p g federal investment
i
of $2,000,000 n the Odessa Ground Water Replacement Program p g (OGVVRP), a rescue effort to
preserve ground water resources for rural domestic and municipal uses within the federally
ally
owned Columbia Basin Project while maintaining the irrigated agricultural
g g economy of an entire
g' Up to 87,000 acres of highly productive irrigated land --that drives thousands '
region. g ousands of in
the region --would be transferred from
a depleting aquifer to a sustainable source of surface water
upon completion of OGWRP.
A series of pumping plant and pipeline systems are being built along East Lo
. g g w Canal to serve
land now irrigated from deep wells. The first system to be constructed at East Low (EL) Canal
mile 47.5 began operating this irrigation season. Three mores stems are i '
y n the design phase, and
additional systems await design. Funds requested would be directed to the design process and
align with implementation of Reclamation's preferred alternative for ther
p ogram. System
designs at the 30% completion level are required to provide landowners '
p with the information
necessary to determine participation. This request also includes funds to automate East Low
Canal gravity -delivery head gates to adjust for fluctuations resultingfrom
conveyance of new
pump plant diversions, reduce waste and labor, and result in water conservation and safe
operations.
Retaining this land in irrigated agriculture benefits dozens of rural communities'
by maintaining
the local tax base that supports schools and other communit servicesy . It also preserves the sole
domestic water supply the rural communities in the area rely upon. . Thi
p s effort continues phased
development of the Congressionally -authorized Columbia Basin Project, t, which today, is
responsible for over $5 billion in annual, cumulative economic activity. The
. y CBP 15 O�
�'tl
�aally coMplete and was designed to serve hundreds of thousands of additional ditional acres of
irrigated farmland that feeds the world and is the economic engine that at powers central
Washington, significantly contributing to our state and federal economies
Danny E. Stone Rob Jones Cindy Carter
District 1 y
District 2 District 3
"TO MEET CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS9 SERVING TOGETHER WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES9 WHILE FOSTERING
A RESPECTFUL AND SUCCESSFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT."
Thank you for your consideration of their request.
Sincerely,
BOARD OF GRANT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Cindy Carte ,Chair
:bjv
Cc: Columbia Basin Development League
17
Stone
R Ob-.ffe Is
----
Barbara Vasc u ez
From: Sara Higgins <sara@501 consultants.com>�
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2021 11:14 AM
To: Sara Higgins
Subject: CBDL--Request for LAST Letter of Support
Attachments: CBDL Template Cantwell Support Letter 2021.05.20.docx
Importance: High
Columbia Basin Project Stakeholder:
Many of you have been very generous in providing letters of support for our requests for House Community
Project Funding and Senate Congressionally Directed Spending (earmarks) requests for the Odessa Ground
Water Replacement Program. We have submitted to Representatives Newhouse (successfully advanced to
committee) and McMorris Rodgers (successfully advanced to committee) and Senator Murray (pending
response). Thank you.
We have reached out to you as their offices have made information available to us about the request r
q process
and criteria each one differing slightly which has been less than efficient, but so itg oes.
Senator Cantwell)s office has now released her process for submitting Senate Congressionally Directed
g Y
Spending requests, and the League intends to proceed with a submittal to her.
Senator Cantwell asked that requests include letters of support from stakeholders. Would
•ur
.orclanizatim, provide a letter of su ort to me by no later than the mornina of June 1?
We must submit our request on June 1 rior to 4pm Eastern time (fpm Pacific).
Please let me know if you are able to offer your support. Attached is a template you may choose t
p Y y o use.
Thank you for your continued support through this cumbersome process!
Sara Higgins
Deputy Director I Columbia Basin Development League
sarana.cbdl.orq
509.782.9442 1509.782.1203 (fax)
203 Mission Avenue, Suite 1071 PO Box 745, Cashmere, WA 98815
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COLUMBIA BASIN
wtv `VF"'1,.,0PMENT
Since 1964, we have served as the voice of the Columbia Basin Project — advocating for com .letion_at.d, sustain ble =
maintenance. You can help. Join the Leac
iue today.
..._
MAY 1) 202"1