Funding provided by the bureau of reclamation helps continue the walla walla county conservation districts (wwcd) efforts to alleviate low water flows and eliminate water loss due to seepage in the…

The Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) program (CFDA 15.507) awarded $453,182 to the Walla Walla County Conservation District (WWCD) on August 11, 2025, to advance water sustainability and environmental restoration in southeastern Washington. Under this Project Grant, WWCD will partner with the Gardena Farms Irrigation District to develop a 90 percent construction-ready design package for piping 11 miles of the upper canal system. The design effort, expected to be completed by December 31, 2027, will upgrade the existing 30 percent design to a final engineering specification suitable for construction, enabling the conversion of an open irrigation canal that currently serves 7,000 acres of agricultural land in Walla Walla County.

The primary benefit of this infrastructure improvement is water conservation through seepage loss reduction. Water saved through the canal piping project will remain instream to support critical fish populations, specifically Mid-Columbia River steelhead, spring Chinook, and bull trout—all species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. By combining agricultural water efficiency with environmental stewardship objectives, this WaterSMART-funded design project directly supports the program's dual mandate of enhancing water supply sustainability and improving ecosystem health in the western United States.

Activities

In partnership with the gardena farms irrigation district, wwcd will complete a 90 percent design package to pipe eleven miles of the open upper canal. Wwccd will work closely with a selected engineer on to update the gardena pen canal to a 90%, construction-ready design. This will include updating a design to pipe 11 miles of the upper canal, which is used to move irrigation water from the point of diversion off of the walla walla river to 7,000 acres of agricultural fields in the southwest portion of walla walla county. Wwcd expects the completion of this design to be the end of december 2027.expected deliverables or outcomes: update the upper canal 30 percent design to a 90 percent construction-ready design.

Intended beneficiaries

The public purpose of this agreement is to support projects that are intended to increase water supply sustainability through investments in existing infrastructure and to improve water management. Water saved by updating the upper canal to a closed system would be left instream to help alleviate low flows for mid-columbia river steelhead, spring chinook, and bull trout, which are listed under the endangered species act as threatened. These projects are for the benefit of the species and by extension constitute a public benefit.subrecipient activities (if known or specified at time of award): n a