Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Groundwater Recharge topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Morrow County pledges $20,000 to advance Lower Willow Creek groundwater recharge study
Summary
The Morrow County Board of Commissioners voted to obligate $20,000 toward a feasibility study for a Lower Willow Creek groundwater recharge project aimed at increasing late-season water supply for about 2,172 acres across Morrow and Gilliam counties and to position the project for state and federal funding.
Morrow County commissioners voted to obligate $20,000 in county funds to help complete a feasibility study for a proposed Lower Willow Creek groundwater recharge project intended to extend irrigation supplies into late summer.
Project presenters told the board the effort builds on a 2022 preliminary study and earlier work by neighboring counties and the Port of Arlington. Presenters said the project would use a 5,640-acre-foot winter water storage right associated with Willow Creek and aim to recharge the aquifer from the Ray Creek confluence downstream toward the Columbia River so water can be drawn in dry months.
Project proponents said the full implementation — including surface or subsurface storage and distribution — would likely cost millions but that a finalized feasibility study and plan would make the effort competitive for federal cost-share programs such as NRCS initiatives. Presenters and commissioners discussed anticipated losses from recharge (presenters cited an example of roughly 30 percent loss in a separate Butter Creek project), estimated payback periods for some system types, and the need for hydrology modeling to refine those figures.
Presenters told the board the immediate request is for matching county funds: they sought roughly $39,000 from the county to reach a $50,000 package that would be matched by the Oregon Water Resources Department for the next study phase. Project supporters said about 20 landowners are already interested and that the project would serve roughly 2,172 acres (about 480 acres in Gilliam County and 1,692 acres in Morrow County).
Commissioners discussed how to structure local contribution to ensure landowners have “skin in the game” and to preserve grant leverage. After debate, one commissioner moved to obligate $20,000 from county funds toward the feasibility study; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Next steps identified by staff include completing the hydrology work, clarifying precise cost-share expectations for landowners, and using the feasibility results to seek larger state and federal grants. The board did not authorize construction funding; staff said implementation would require additional, separate approvals and substantial external funding.
