On Wednesday, February 14th- Charles Freeman, District Manager of Kennewick Irrigation District, testified before a Congressional Committee in Washington D.C. about the importance of transferring the title of the district’s canals and infrastructure from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to the district.
The transfer would allow KID to take ownership of the canals and other facilities as it nears paying off a federal loan from the 1950s for building those structures. The district operates and maintains the facilities, but transferring the title to local control could allow us to better manage our resources and be more efficient and responsive to customers. The district has started the title transfer process, which needs congressional approval. Watch this video we edited specifically showing Charles Freeman’s testimony and his answers to questions from Representative Dan Newhouse of Washington.