The Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) serves up to 20,201 acres of agricultural and residential customers in a region of Washington State that receives less than 10 inches of precipitation per year on average. These challenging conditions make irrigation necessary to grow economically valuable agricultural products such as cherries and grapes and to grow shade trees that help to cool residential areas and increase the quality of life in the urbanized parts of the district during the hot summer months.

KID depends on water from the Yakima River, which receives its water from the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range. Approximately 140 inches of precipitation falls in the Cascade Range per year, feeding the Yakima River through numerous tributaries and providing flows for fish, farms, and residences all the way to the Tri-Cities.

During years of average precipitation and temperatures, there is enough water to supply the needs of farms and residences in the Yakima basin. However, during drought conditions, when insufficient precipitation fails to fill the storage reservoirs or the snowpack fails to materialize or melts too quickly, water shortages threaten agriculture and our quality of life.

In 2015, a severe drought occurred in the Yakima basin, reducing water supplies for prorated water right holders by over half. The drought was due to a snowpack drought—a normal amount of precipitation fell in the mountains, but it fell as rain instead of snow. The reservoirs in the Yakima basin can only hold enough water to store up to 30 percent of the total annual runoff. Snowpack plays a critical role in complementing water storage by providing water during the spring and early summer parts of the irrigation season.

Although KID holds a mostly proratable water right, it is not held to the strict prorated annual quantity that other proratable districts receive, due to a unique clause in our contract with the Bureau of Reclamation. A proratable water right means KID receives a reduced amount of water in drought years. This clause allows KID to not only divert water from the proratable bucket, but to also divert return flows that are not a part of the proratable bucket. Return flow is water that returns to the river after being diverted by other users and becomes available for diversion by KID and other users downstream of Sunnyside Dam.

This ability to divert return flows has historically allowed KID to receive a more reliable water supply than the other proratable districts, but large-scale water conservation projects implemented over the past 20 years have greatly reduced available return flows. Currently, during drought conditions, KID is not receiving water when it is needed most by our customers, during the hot summer months of July and August, which are critical to plant growth.

Current conditions and future potential climate change effects have created a great challenge to protecting and enhancing the KID water supply. To guide the district through the difficulties of drought conditions, KID adopted a drought plan policy which was updated in 2019 to better support goals and actions that will give KID staff the tools needed to lessen the impact of the next drought. This includes the lining of our smaller canals and the lining and widening of our main canal.

In addition, KID is in talks with our partners at Reclamation, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the Yakama Nation to discuss options to protect KID’s water supply and to enhance fish habitat in the lower river. These talks include construction of a *central storage reservoir in the district.

Projects such as these will replace water taken from KID by federally funded up-basin conservation projects and will greatly enhance the reliability of KID water supplies during the next drought.

*Central Storage Project | The goals of the Kennewick Irrigation District’s (KID) Central Storage Reservoir Project are to enhance the environment of the lower Yakima River and stabilize KID’s water supply. KID has its diversion structure at the Prosser Dam, where project water travels 11.3 miles down the Chandler Canal to the Chandler Power and Pumping Plant, leaving only federally-mandated target flows in the Yakima River between Prosser and Chandler, a distance of approximately 12 miles. This bypass reach of the river could benefit from KID utilizing the Central Storage Project to reduce its diversion below the Prosser Dam; enhancing the ecology of the river. KID will also utilize the reservoir to ensure adequate water supplies for farms and homes, especially during drought conditions, such as those the District experienced in 2015.

HDPE Liner | This durable material acts as a waterproof barrier, dramatically reducing seepage by up to 90%. This translates to more water reaching its intended destination, maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste. Canal lining also decreases the chance of a canal breach, provides a barrier against weeds and rodents, reduces maintenance costs, and improves water delivery. Since 2010, KID has lined over 25 miles of canal.

Widening of the Main Canal | By expanding the main canal’s capacity, the canal acts as a temporary reservoir, storing additional water during times of drought. This precious reserve becomes a lifeline during droughts, ensuring a more stable water supply even when Mother Nature throws her worst punches.