Water districts and irrigation groups invite committee to tour major Columbia Basin and Yakima projects

John Stumiller of the Washington State Water Resources Association asked the committee April 2 to schedule tours of major irrigation infrastructure, including the Columbia Basin Project and Yakima Basin work, and said districts need continued policy support.

Lede: Stumiller said irrigation supports 18% of Washington’s farmland but produces about 75% of the crop value — underlining the importance of seeing delivery infrastructure firsthand.

Nut graf: He suggested the Columbia Basin Project (including Grand Coulee and the Keys pumping plant) and the Yakima integrated plan as high‑priority sites, and asked the committee to examine the needs of fire‑damaged districts that require investment and technical support.

Details: Stumiller highlighted the Columbia Basin Project’s size — roughly 700,000 irrigated acres — and the Keys pumping plant’s role in delivering water. He also called attention to the Yakima Tieton area’s fire damage and said those districts need funding and assistance to recover and maintain delivery systems.

Why it matters: Committee members who serve farming districts said water reliability and infrastructure investments are core to crop value, regional economies and future land use decisions. Touring large projects would let members see reclamation, pumping and delivery facilities and the scale of operations supporting irrigated agriculture.

Ending: The water association offered to help plan tours and further technical briefings during the interim so lawmakers can see irrigation operations and community needs on site.