KID News Page

The Kennewick Irrigation District will be making emergency repairs to the Edison Line to stop two major leaks.

Water will be shut off Sunday, June 13, 2010 at approximately 9:00 p.m.  The system should be drained and repairs started early Monday morning.  Water is scheduled to be turned back on sometime Monday afternoon which will restore water services throughout the District by early afternoon on Tuesday, June 15, 2010.

Areas that will be affected are from 10th Avenue, down Edison Street, over to Olympia Street.  These include the following Pressurized Service Areas:  4, 7, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 24, 29, 30, 34, 50, 53, 57, 58, 60, 74, 78, 87, 90, 95, 97, 100, 101, 115, 116, 124, 125, 140, 143, 144, 152, 154, 160 and parts of 117.

Private line areas affected are from 10th Avenue to Canal and from Kellogg Street to Olympia Street.

For additional information and a map of the area, please visit the KID website at www.kid.org or call Customer Service at 509-586-9111.

Tips for Making You Lawn Drought Resistant:

• Daily watering can actually hurt your grass. Grass does better when the whole root zone is wet and then partially dries out between watering. Frequent, brief watering causes shallow root development and weak turf which is apt to be invaded by weeds and insects and is less tolerant of water and heat stress. Overwatering can promote lawn disease. One visible sign is the change in color to a blue-green, purplish or smoky tinge.
• One inch per week, early or late in the day. Water about one inch per week during July and August. Use less in the late spring or early fall; let the weather be your guide. Water slowly, or start and stop, so the water penetrates rather than puddling or running off. Signs of a lawn that needs more water include a duller color, and the “footprint test”; grass blades stay bent in your footprint rather than popping back up.
• Fertilizer: How much is enough? WSU recommends that home lawns receive three to four pounds of nitrogen (in a balanced fertilizer) per thousand square feet of lawn each year. Grass cycling can supply at least one-quarter of that. Split the rest between May and September applications. Avoid fertilizing in the early spring because it makes lawns grow too fast (unless your lawn needs help recovering from disease or insect damage). Wait until May.
• Aeration helps water reach the roots. Dethatching will also help if there is heavy thatch buildup.
• Setting your mowing heights up to three inches for most lawns to develop deeper roots and crowd out weeds. If grass is mowed short, the root system is generally shallow.. Cutting too much (more than 1/3) at once stresses the grass.
• Healthy lawns are a medium green color, depending on the variety of grass. The darkest green turf, which many people strive for is not, in fact, the healthiest turf. Over fertilized lawns are more prone to disease, thatch buildup, and drought damage.
• Watering in the late morning through mid-afternoon spreads out the demand which results in better water pressure. It also reduces the operational spill at the end of the canal which is about 1/3 of the water that the District diverts from the river. Watering in the middle of a hot, summer day will not scald the lawn.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) has updated the prorationing percentage for all junior water right holders in the Yakima River Basin and is now forecast to be 90 percent of their normal water supply.  The Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) is a junior water rights holder.

KID is continuing to ask all rural and urban customers to water on an odd and even basis, even with the increase in water availability.  It is very important that neighborhoods continue to work together by creating watering plans or by watering at different times throughout the day.  The KID is available to assist, please call our customer service department for more information.

For additional information on news involving the Kennewick Irrigation District, including monthly water reports from the Bureau and watering in drought conditions, please visit the KID website at www.kid.org.

The deadline to apply for the Kennewick Irrigation District Water Entitlement Transfer Program is June 1st.

This policy allows ratepayers who do not have access to KID water from a riser to be allowed to “opt out” of their water entitlements and annual irrigation assessments. Customers with current irrigation service are not eligible. Written approval from the applicable City water utility is a required piece of the application package to ensure that the city’s water systems are not adversely affected.

Complete applications must be submitted by June 1, 2010 in order to be considered for relegation for the 2011 assessment roll. The lead time is necessary for the Bureau of Reclamation to process the requests.

Most of the landlocked parcel situations were caused by developers who subdivided land along a canal or lateral pipeline but did not provide irrigation easements to each parcel. The state subdivision law was changed several years ago to prevent the creation of new lots in irrigation districts without easements for irrigation lines.

Relegation applications must be signed by the holder of a mortgage, for properties that are subject to a mortgage or a deed of trust.

Property owners who choose to give up a water entitlement will retain their voting rights in irrigation district elections.

The new policy also affects property owners wishing to obtain a water entitlement to irrigate drylands and the use of temporary water transfers. June 1st is the application deadline for water relegation or additional water entitlement requests.