MILTON-FREEWATER — The public has the opportunity to provide input on and ask questions about the Walla Walla Basin Groundwater Study at a virtual meeting to be hosted by the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) on Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to a press release .

The study is being conducted by OWRD in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Centers in Washington and Oregon, and the Washington State Department of Ecology to improve understanding of the groundwater system in the Walla Walla Basin. 

“The scientific investigation will provide water managers and the public with a reliable, shared foundation for future decision-making, compiling existing data from past studies as well as collecting new data,” the release stated.

“This information will improve our collective understanding of the extent and connectivity of groundwater in the basin, the impacts of pumping on groundwater levels and streamflow, and the locations of gaining and losing stream reaches and the volume of water being exchanged in those reaches.”

The basin has been challenged by declining groundwater levels in regional aquifers and insufficient flows for some vulnerable fish populations, according to the release. 

The meeting will be hosted from 4-6 p.m. on Oct. 14 through the video conference platform Zoom. Participants must register prior to the meeting and can do so online at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErcu6gqTsjGt2olO8l6OHGd5wkU-H1sy8_ or can contact Harmony Burright for assistance at (971) 301-0718 or via email at harmony.s.burright@oregon.gov.