Water saved by multimillion-dollar investments in irrigation conservation will be used to bolster river flows for fish in the Yakima River this summer after all, the Bureau of Reclamation announced Thursday.
Two weeks ago, the agency said it was looking at whether or not the saved water would actually have to be used to supplement supplies for the Kennewick Irrigation District or KID.
That's because the conservation work done over the past decade - which reduced the amount of water needed in canals so more can stay in the river - actually reduced the supply that KID has a right to divert.
Located near the end of the Yakima River, KID relies on return flows from other canals to serve its customers. Because of that unusual situation, it's not usually subject to the same water rationing that other junior rights holders face during drought.
During a normal water year, there's enough water for both the river flows and the KID's diversions, but this year's shortage put conflicting demands on the same 18,000 acre-feet of "conserved" water.
Dawn Wiedmeier, the area manager for the bureau, said that her staff worked with KID to find a solution that will keep the contested water in the river this summer, making the tribal, state and federal fish biologists happy.
In exchange for KID agreeing not to divert the water, Reclamation agreed to pursue new infrastructure that would ensure KID a full water supply in the future and avoid this conflict.
"We'll take the short-term hit this year with the drought, but now we're working towards a long-term solution," said KID manager Chuck Freeman.
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