KID celebrates 80 miles of canals now in the hands of Tri-Cities owners
The Kennewick Irrigation District celebrated a move officials say will make it easier to manage its 80 miles of canals, drains and wasteways.
Officials from the district, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of the Interior gathered with U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, recently to celebrate the end of the four years of work that went into the transfer.
The move came after Newhouse sponsored legislation to make the process easier. While Kennewick Irrigation District wasn’t the first project to finish, it is one of the driving forces behind the change in the legislation.
As part of the process KID repaid the $4.6 million, zero-interest federal loan that paid for the Bureau of Reclamation to build the facilities, including the canals and pumps.
The entire system stretches from the Chandler Dam near Prosser to the Hover Wasteway.
“It’s a great day. It really is,” Newhouse told the crowd of city, district and federal officials. “This is a great example of what can be accomplished when a group of people put their minds together.”
This was echoed by Kiel Weaver, the former associate deputy secretary for the Department of the Interior. While this process took years, it was faster than the previous process.
The change approved by Congress in 2019, made it easier for to finish the transfer process.
District Manager Charles Freeman said the move will make it easier for the district to respond to the hundreds of new homes coming to the district.
Previously many changes needed approval from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which can be a lengthy process, according to the irrigation district.
The district said the change will let them respond to homeowner requests faster, and will give officials a chance to engage with the community on the best use of the irrigation system.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 5:00 AM.