Consultants present feasibility study for Lower Willow Creek managed aquifer recharge project

Matt Thomas of GSI Water Solutions presented the results of a Lower Willow Creek managed aquifer recharge (MAR) feasibility study to the Morrow County Board of Commissioners. The study, funded by an Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) feasibility grant with a 50% match from Morrow and Gilliam counties, assessed whether a MAR project in the Lower Willow Creek basin could avoid fatal flaws and meaningfully extend the irrigation season for surface-water users.

Thomas said the study area is primarily in Morrow County with a small portion in Gilliam County and showed maps locating the city of Ione and the Columbia River at the northern boundary. He explained that Willow Creek typically runs effectively dry from around mid-June through September most years, citing watermaster shutoffs in that period, and that the MAR concept would seek to capture and store water during higher-flow periods for later use during the irrigation season (transcript SEG 941–SEG 981).

The presentation summarized a desktop feasibility assessment; consultants asked commissioners to indicate any questions or concerns and offered to provide additional analysis if requested. No formal action or funding decision was recorded during the meeting; next steps and any requests for further county participation would require separate agenda items.