HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence - Public WorksMarch 13, 2023
GRANT COUNTY
OFFICE OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
P O Box 37
EPHRATA WA 9BB23
(509) 754-2011
The Honorable Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers
2188 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
RE: Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)
Requesting Entity: Adams County
Project Name: Adams County Bridge #415-3 Booker Rd Bridge
The Grant County, Washington Board of Commissioners supports the Congressionally Directed Spending
request submitted by Adams County for a federal investment of $3,978,000 for the Adams County Bridge
#415-3 Booker Rd Bridge improvement project.
Bridge improvement is a critical part of the Odessa Ground Water Replacement Program (OGWRP). As
an aquifer rescue mission, OGWRP is transferring the source of irrigation water for up to 87,000 acre --
137 square mile --of highly productive land from a depleting aquifer to a sustainable source of surface
water. This will preserve over 85 billion gallons of water, annually, for rural environmental, municipal,
and industrial purposes within the federally -owned Columbia Basin Project (CBP) while maintaining the
irrigated agricultural economy of an entire region.
This project is critical to the vitality of Adams, Grant, Lincoln and Franklin Counties. The constituents
and stakeholders are depending on our collaborative efforts. The support is overwhelming, due to what is
at stake. Farming is a way of life in our Central Washington Region and the Nation benefits from our
mass production of crops. Irrigation and aquifers are key to our successes. Some cities including Moses
Lake are considering emergency measures due to depleting water resources in our aquifers. The ability to
attract industry and development to our counties is vulnerable without your support.
As part of OGWRP, the East Low irrigation Canal has been widened to accommodate additional water
deliveries to deep well irrigators awaiting surface water. However, areas of the canal around existing
bridges have not yet been widened and act as a bottle neck preventing OGWRP deliveries as intended and
threatening water contracts. Specifically, requested federal funds would be used by Adams County to
improve one of eight county road bridges in Adams and Grant Counties which must be lengthened to
accommodate increased canal capacity and prevent curtailment of water contracts, starting with municipal
and industrial users.
Danny E. Stone Rob Jones Cindy Carter
District 1 District 2 District 3
"To MEET CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS, SERVING TOGETHER WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES? WHILE FOSTERING
A RESPECTFUL AND SUCCESSFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT."
The counties, East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, the Bureau of Reclamation, and members of the
Washington congressional delegation are working together to accomplish bridge improvements, while
many more stakeholders voice support.
As Congress considers projects included in transportation funding, please support the Adams
County Bridge #415-3 Booker Rd Bridge improvement project in the amount of $3,978,000 along
with three other OGWRP bridge requests in this fiscal year which will be part of requests made to,
other members of the Washington delegation to ensure Adams and Grant counties' region -wide
strategy and coordination can be accomplished and the aquifer rescue mission can proceed as
intended.
Sincerely,
BOARD OF G� T COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Rod n ,Chair Cindy Car r, Vice -Chair Danny .Stone, Member
:bl
Cc: Grant County Public Works