HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence - BOCCGRANT COUNTY
OFFICE OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
P 0 Box 37
EPHRATA WA 9BBZ3
(509) 754-2011
February 27, 2023
The Honorable Senator Maria Cantwell
511 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
RE: Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)
Requesting Entity: Adams County
Project Name: Adams County Bridge #413-3 Providence Rd Bridge
The Grant County, Washington Board of Commissioners supports the Congressionally Directed Spending
request submitted by Adams County, Washington for a federal investment of $4,206,000 for the Adams
County Bridge #413-3 Providence Rd Bridge improvement project.
Bridge replacements 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 aquifers. The ability to attract industry and
development to our counties is vulnerable without your support.
The Columbia Basin Project supports 65,900 jobs, generates $4 billion in annual labor income, generates
$2.66 billion in annual crop production value, generates $2.67 billion in local animal production and food
processing. In addition, the Columbia Basin Project attracts over one million recreation visits to our
counties.
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
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."
accommodate increased canal capacity and prevent curtailment of water contracts, starting with municipal
and industrial users.
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. This project will benefit the USBR, ECBID, Odessa Aquifer, Ag
Producers and Businesses, City of Odessa, Town of Wilson Creek, City of Moses Lake, City of Warden,
and City of Othello, Adams, Grant, Lincoln, and Franklin Counties. We hope you will give this project
full and fair consideration.
As Congress considers projects included in transportation funding, please support the Adams
County Bridge #413-3 Providence Rd Bridge improvement project in the amount of $4,206,000
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 GRANT COUNTY
Rab J - es, Chair
N
Cc: Grant County Public Works
Adams County Public Works
CO ISSIONE
Cin y Ca r, ice -Ch