News Release Archive

Reclamation Releases Draft EA for the Lake Roosevelt Incremental Storage Release Project

Media Contact: John Redding, (208) 378-5212, jredding@pn.usbr.gov
John Evans, jevans@pn.usbr.gov

For Release: March 20, 2009

The Bureau of Reclamation has released a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for implementation of the Lake Roosevelt Incremental Storage Release Project. The purpose of the project is to meet objectives established by the State of Washington's Columbia River Water Management Act, including delivering water from Lake Roosevelt to the Odessa area to relieve a critical groundwater shortage, and protecting Columbia River flows for salmon. The proposed action would increase flows below Grand Coulee Dam during the spring and summer salmon migration.

This action was analyzed and included in NOAA Fisheries' 2008 Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion. Under the proposed action, Reclamation would drawdown Lake Roosevelt by an additional 82,500 acre-feet (up to 12") in most water years to provide for irrigation in the Odessa Subarea (30,000 acre-feet); to provide for municipal and industrial use (25,000 acre-feet); and increase stream flow in the Columbia River during the main salmon migration period (27,500 acre-feet). The water for municipal and industrial use would be left in the Columbia River until its point of diversion at various points downstream from Grand Coulee Dam.

The water provided to the Odessa area would only be available to individuals within the Columbia Basin Project boundary who currently irrigate with a valid state groundwater right. Delivering water to the Odessa area would also involve a construction project to enlarge two siphons on the East Low Canal near Weber Coulee east of Moses Lake, Wash. This activity would produce a significant number of jobs in the local area as early as fall, 2009.

Under the No Action Alternative, no incremental storage releases would be made from Lake Roosevelt. The reservoir would continue to be operated as it is today.

The draft EA is available on the Internet by following the link at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/envirodocs.html, or by contacting Dave Kaumheimer at UCA-1600, Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 1917 Marsh Road, Yakima WA 98901-2058, or fax (509) 454-5611. For information, telephone (509) 575-5848, Ext. 232.

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Relevant Link:

http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/envirodocs.html