Snow Pack and Water Supply

With all the snow coming down in the Tri Cities, this is a great time to remember where we get our KID irrigation water. When it snows in the Tri Cities, it seems like it should contribute to KID’s summer water supply. Unfortunately, that is not the case. KID diverts water out of the Yakima River at Prosser Dam. Yakima River water comes from precipitation and snow pack on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range, which fills five reservoirs feeding into the Yakima River. Early season irrigation demands are met by melting snowpack. After the snow melts, usually in late spring or early summer, demands are met from reservoir releases, or in the case of KID, return flows that derive from diversions that occur farther upstream. When there is a lack of winter precipitation or snow pack on the eastern side of the Cascades, or that snow pack melts too quickly, our water supply is at risk. Snow in the Tri Cities does not always mean snow in the Eastern Cascades, where our water supply starts. Remember, too, that KID does not have a Columbia River water right, which would allow us to take water from the Columbia River. To read about KID water, drought plans, capital projects and more about the District, please call or email our Customer Service Department to get a copy of a special edition Irrigation Leader magazine, all about the Kennewick Irrigation District. (509) 586-9111 or customerservice@kid.org

•