$50 Million in Funding for Water Projects in Oregon
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Government
Oregon Legislature approved $50 million in funding for water projects that could bring more water from Columbia River to northeast Oregon farms
That’s good news for northeast Oregon farmers trying to pump more irrigation water from the Columbia River to expand the region’s agricultural economy.
Prior to his resignation in February, former governor John Kitzhaber called for $51.6 million in a statewide water development account to help pay for new water supplies and restoration. Gov. Kate Brown also backed the request after her appointment.
What the committee ultimately approved was $20 million in lottery bonds and $30 million in general obligation bonds to accomplish that goal.
Part of the money could be used for pipes and infrastructure to pump additional Columbia River water onto farms between Hermiston and Boardman, growing high-value crops such as potatoes and onions.
The proposal, crafted by the Northeast Oregon Water Association, has taken months of careful negotiations to make sure they balance conservation interests. Now, state dollars are officially in place to move forward with the project’s first phase.
“The legislature has worked so hard on our region’s behalf, and on behalf of the state of Oregon to provide a pathway for sensible, multi-beneficial water development efforts to move forward,” said Bob Levy, a longtime Hermiston farmer and secretary of NOWA.
Out of more than 300 requests to the Capital Construction committee, only 95 were recommended for funding, according to Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena. With bipartisan support from Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, Hansell sent a letter March 9 to the committee’s co-chairs urging support for water development and, in particular, the NOWA proposal.
While grants will be awarded competitively to projects throughout the state, Hansell said NOWA appears to have a substantial head start with the foundation they’ve already laid.
“From the beginning of my time in the legislature, this has been a top priority of mine,” Hansell said. “Nothing comes close to the prospects for what additional, sustainable water development means for our local region’s economy.”
If successful, future phases of the NOWA project could build out infrastructure even further and tab other work to fully mitigate impacts to fish and wildlife habitat.
Source: East Oregonian