Phase II kicks in for water draws

Published 2:28 pm Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Hermiston – The Hermiston Irrigation District began exchanging water recently through Phase II of the Umatilla Basin Project.

The district will allow water normally used for diversion to stay in the Columbia River in exchange for water the Bureau of Reclamation pumps from the Columbia at a later date. The water left in the Umatilla River will benefit fishery resources in the Umatilla Basin.

The district will divert water through the feed canal to Cold Springs Reservoir when Umatilla flows are sufficient or when flows aren’t needed for the fishery.