8 CapitalPress.com November 6, 2015 Washington Judge to decide on motion to dismiss Bureau of Reclamation lawsuit By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press A U.S. District Court judge will decide in the next two months whether to dis- PLVVDODZVXLW¿OHGE\JURXSRI Eastern Washington irrigators DJDLQVWWKH86%XUHDXRI5HF- lamation. $WWRUQH\V IRU WKH &ROXP- ELD6QDNH 5LYHU ,UULJDWRUV $VVRFLDWLRQ DQG WKH DJHQF\ PDGH WKHLU DUJXPHQWV EHIRUH &KLHI -XGJH 5RVDQQD 0DORXI Peterson at a hearing Oct. 28 in 5LFKODQG:DVK The irrigators association VD\VWKHDJHQF\³DUELWUDULO\GH- OD\HGDQGEORFNHG´DQHZZDWHU VHUYLFHFRQWUDFWIRULWVSULYDWH- O\IXQGHGPLOOLRQSLSHOLQH WR GHOLYHU VXUIDFH ZDWHU IURP WKH(DVW/RZ&DQDOWRURXJKO\ DFUHVRIIDUPODQGQRUWK RI ,QWHUVWDWH LQ WKH 2GHVVD 6XEDUHD 7KH EXUHDX KDV VDLG WKDW &65,$¶V SLSHOLQH LQWHUIHUHV ZLWKH[LVWLQJSURMHFWVZLWKWKH VWDWH 'HSDUWPHQW RI (FRORJ\ and three irrigation districts in the area. -DPHV %XFKDO DQ DWWRUQH\ UHSUHVHQWLQJWKHLUULJDWRUVVDLG KH H[SHFWV D UXOLQJ ZLWKLQ WKH next one to two months. ³5HJDUGOHVVRIWKHXOWLPDWH RXWFRPH RI WRGD\¶V DUJXPHQWV DQGRIWKLVODZVXLWWKH%XUHDX RI 5HFODPDWLRQ KDV EHHQ DQG ZLOO UHPDLQ RSHQ WR ZRUNLQJ ZLWK SURSRQHQWV RI SULYDWH ¿QDQFLQJ RI JURXQGZDWHU UH- SODFHPHQW GLVWULEXWLRQ ZRUNV ZKHWKHUIURPEDQNVRUERQGV´ VDLG'DZQ:LHGPHLHU&ROXP- ELD&DVFDGHVDUHDPDQDJHUIRU WKH EXUHDX ³5HFODPDWLRQ LV ZHOO DZDUH RI WKH XUJHQF\ RI WKLV IDUPLQJ HFRQRP\ UHVFXH HIIRUW DQG LV DFWLYHO\ HQJDJHG LQ VXUPRXQWLQJ EDUULHUV WR WKH SURYLVLRQ RI VXUIDFH ZD- WHU UHOLHI WR WKH 2GHVVD DUHD LQDWLPHO\FRVWHIIHFWLYHDQG VXVWDLQDEOH PDQQHU LQ FRP- SOLDQFH ZLWK VWDWH DQG IHGHUDO ODZ´ 'DUU\OO 2OVHQ ERDUG UHS- UHVHQWDWLYH IRU WKH DVVRFLDWLRQ VDLGKHIHOW3HWHUVRQZDVUHFHS- WLYHWRWKHLUULJDWRUV¶DUJXPHQWV during the hearing. ³%DVHGRQWKHTXHVWLRQVVKH DVNHGVKHUHFRJQL]HGWKHUHZDV VXEVWDQWLDO LQMXVWLFH LQ WHOOLQJ WKHUHJLRQ¶VIDUPHUVWKH%XUHDX RI 5HFODPDWLRQ FRXOG VD\ QR IRUDQ\UHDVRQRUQRUHDVRQDQG HVVHQWLDOO\ QHYHU PDNH XS LWV PLQGWRVROYHWKHSUREOHP&RQ- JUHVV KDV WROG WKHP RYHU DQG RYHU DJDLQ WR VROYH´ %XFKDO said. 0LNH 6FKZLVRZ GLUHFWRU RIJRYHUQPHQWUHODWLRQVIRUWKH &ROXPELD %DVLQ 'HYHORSPHQW /HDJXH VDLG 3HWHUVRQ GLG QRW JRLQWRWKHPHULWVRIWKHLUULJD- WRUV¶ SURSRVDO RU WKH EXUHDX¶V FXUUHQWZRUNWRUHSODFHGHFOLQ- LQJ DTXLIHUV ZLWK ZDWHU IURP WKH&ROXPELD5LYHU7KHMXGJH IRFXVHG RQ LVVXHV UHODWHG WR FDVHODZDQGZKHWKHU5HFODPD- WLRQ ZDV DFWLQJ DSSURSULDWHO\ Schwisow said. 7KH OHDJXH VXSSRUWV WKH EXUHDX¶V HIIRUWV DQG KRSHV WKH MXGJH ZLOO DJUHH ZLWK 5HFOD- PDWLRQ¶V PRWLRQ WR GLVPLVV Schwisow said. ,IWKHMXGJHGRHVQ¶WGLVPLVV the case would go on to the next VWDJH 6FKZLVRZ VDLG 0RUH FRXUW PRWLRQV ZRXOG OLNHO\ EH LQVWRUHKHVDLG 7KHLUULJDWRUV¶ODZVXLWGRHV QRWVWDOOWKH(DVW&ROXPELD%D- VLQ,UULJDWLRQ'LVWULFW¶VZRUNRQ WKH(DVW/RZ&DQDO6FKZLVRZ said. ³, JXHVV LW FRQIXVHV WKH LV- VXH´ KH VDLG ³7KDW ZRXOG EH WKHELJJHVWFRQFHUQ7KHUHLVD FOHDU SODQ WKDW LV EHLQJ LPSOH- PHQWHGWKRXJK´ The irrigators association has also sued the East Colum- ELD %DVLQ ,UULJDWLRQ 'LVWULFW DOOHJLQJLWZLOOEUHDNVWDWHODZ LILW¿QDQFHVWKHSURMHFWZLWKD XQLIRUPIHH ,UULJDWLRQGLVWULFWGHYHORSPHQW OHDJXHFRQWLQXHZRUNVHHNIXQGLQJ By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press 7KH (DVW &ROXPELD %DVLQ ,UULJDWLRQ 'LVWULFW DQG &ROXP- ELD%DVLQ'HYHORSPHQW/HDJXH DUHFRQWLQXLQJWRVHHNIXQGLQJ WR KHOS IDUPHUV UHSODFH ZDWHU IURP D GHFOLQLQJ DTXLIHU ZLWK &ROXPELD5LYHUZDWHU ,QIUDVWUXFWXUH LPSURYH- ments will continue through DWOHDVWQH[W0D\ZLWKFXUUHQW IXQGLQJVDLG/HYL-RKQVRQGH- YHORSPHQW FRRUGLQDWRU IRU WKH LUULJDWLRQ GLVWULFW 7KRVH DFWLY- LWLHVLQFOXGHHDUWKZRUNDQGLQ- VWDOODWLRQRIUDGLDOJDWHVWRLP- SURYHH[LVWLQJFKHFNVWUXFWXUHV DQG FRQVWUXFWLRQ RI FRQFUHWH VLSKRQEDUUHOV 7KH LUULJDWLRQ GLVWULFW SODQV WR FRQVWUXFW VHYHQ V\VWHPV WR GHOLYHU ZDWHU WR ODQGRZQHUV The district is handling im- SURYHPHQWVWRLWVGHOLYHU\V\V- WHPLQFOXGLQJZRUNRQWKH(DVW Low Canal. Landowners are H[SHFWHGWRSD\IRUWKHLUSDUWRI WKHV\VWHP The irrigation district is us- LQJ D PLOOLRQ VWDWH JUDQW IRUFXUUHQWZRUNRQWKHFDQDO 2QFHWKDWIXQGLQJLVVSHQW PLOOLRQ LQ LPSURYHPHQWV ZLOO remain. 7KH V\VWHPV ZLOO GHOLYHU ZDWHU WR URXJKO\ DFUHV RIIDUPODQG7KHHQWLUHV\VWHP LV HVWLPDWHG WR FRVW PLO- OLRQ-RKQVRQVDLG ³7KH GLVWULFW LV ZRUNLQJ KDUGWRJHWWKDWQXPEHUDVORZ DVSRVVLEOH´VDLG0LNH6FKZLV- Drought unlikely to impact Columbia River irrigation 'URXJKWDQGFOLPDWHFKDQJHOLNHO\ZRQ¶WKDYHDQLPSDFW RQWKHDYDLODELOLW\RIZDWHUIRULUULJDWRUVLQWKHIHGHUDO&R- OXPELD%DVLQ3URMHFWDUHSUHVHQWDWLYHRIWKH&ROXPELD%D- VLQ'HYHORSPHQW/HDJXHVD\V 7KHULYHUEDVLQZLOOH[SHULHQFHKLJKHUWHPSHUDWXUHVDQG PRUHSUHFLSLWDWLRQLQWKHQH[WIHZGHFDGHVEXWWKHKHDGZD- WHUVLQ&DQDGDDUHVRIDUQRUWKWKDWWKHDPRXQWRIVQRZSDFN LVQ¶WOLNHO\WREHDIIHFWHGVDLG0LNH6FKZLVRZGLUHFWRURI JRYHUQPHQWUHODWLRQVIRUWKHOHDJXH +HZDVUHIHUULQJWRDSUHVHQWDWLRQE\VWDWHFOLPDWRORJLVW 1LFN%RQG 'URXJKW EULQJV HI¿FLHQW ZDWHU XVH LQWR VKDUSHU IRFXV Schwisow said. %XW³IURPDZDWHUVXSSO\VWDQGSRLQWWKHSURMHFWUHPDLQV GURXJKWUHVLVWDQW´KHVDLG 7KHOHDJXHPHW2FWLQ0RVHV/DNH:DVK — Matthew Weaver Courtesy of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation The drainage end of Cle Elum Lake on Sept. 9 is at 30,000 acre-feet of water compared to 436,900 acre-feet when full. The lake level was down 115 feet. Yakima reservoirs lowest in years By DAN WHEAT Capital Press RZGLUHFWRURIJRYHUQPHQWUH- ODWLRQVIRUWKHOHDJXH The irrigation district is ZRUNLQJ RQ D PLOOLRQ ¿- QDQFLQJSODQWRDOORZFRQWLQXHG FRQVWUXFWLRQ RI WKH ¿UVW V\VWHP DQG LPSURYHPHQWV RQ WKH (DVW Low Canal. Landowner meetings are SODQQHGLQ1RYHPEHUIRUWKHUH- PDLQLQJVL[V\VWHPVWRSURYLGH DQ XSGDWH DQG ¿QDQFLQJ LQIRU- mation. 7KH GLVWULFW KDV SURYLGHG ODQGRZQHUVZLWKGUDIWFRQWUDFWV ³$ ORW RI WKHVH IRONV KDYH QRW SXUFKDVHG RU XVHG IHGHUDO ZDWHUVXSSOLHVVRWKHUH¶VDOLWWOH ELW RI D OHDUQLQJ FXUYH WKHUH´ -RKQVRQVDLG Farmers are interested in what it will cost them. The dis- WULFW¶VERDUGRIGLUHFWRUVZDQWV WRLGHQWLI\WKHSRWHQWLDOFRVWRQ WKH ERQG PDUNHW XVLQJ ³IDLU- O\ FRQVHUYDWLYH´ HVWLPDWHV IRU FDSLWDOFRQWLQJHQFLHVLQÀDWLRQ DQGLQWHUHVWUDWHV-RKQVRQVDLG -RKQVRQ VDLG KH ZHOFRPHV IHHGEDFNIURPODQGRZQHUV 7KH ERDUG LV DOVR SXUVXLQJ DGGLWLRQDO VRXUFHV RI VWDWH RU IHGHUDOIXQGLQJKHVDLG ³7KDWZRXOGEHDKXJHEXU- GHQRIIRIRXUODQGRZQHUVEXW ULJKWQRZZHDUHWU\LQJWRSXW WRJHWKHU ¿QDQFLQJ VFHQDULRV WKDWZRXOGEHDEOHWRVXUYLYH RQWKHLURZQLQWKHHYHQWWKDW GRHVQ¶WKDSSHQ´KHVDLG Joyce Capital, Inc. In agriculture, nothing is certain. Your interest rate should be. We offer competitive interest rates for your agricultural financing needs: • Term agricultural loans (purchases & refinances) • FSA Preferred Lender • Amortizations up to 25 years CONTACT: Kevin Arrien, or Joe Lodge <$.,0$ :DVK ² 7KH ¿UVW ZLQWHU VWRUP VKRXOG VWDUW turning the corner on water VWRUDJHLQ¿YHPRXQWDLQUHVHU- YRLUVVHUYLQJWKH