LWP-10-01 - Gardena Farms Irrigation District #13

The Gardena Farms Local Water Plan (LWP) involves the Gardena Farms Irrigation District #13. The primary purpose of the LWP is to enhance instream flow conditions in that reach of the Walla Walla River between the Gardena Farms Irrigation District #13 (GFID) diversion and several alternate points of diversion (POD) located approximately 15 miles downstream, below the confluence with the Touchet River.
This is being accomplished by foregoing diversion of water at the existing GFID diversion and subsequently diverting the same amount of water downstream at the alternate PODs. The lands being irrigated are the same as those irrigated under prior practices.
There is also an element of the LWP that will authorize shallow aquifer recharge (SAR) to occur during periods of high flows. SAR will in part mimic the natural function of floodplain in recharging the alluvial aquifer, and will help compensate for water that would normally be lost to seepage during conveyance through GFID system of ditches or from ground water withdrawals (for which there are current water rights) that might be substituted for surface water under this LWP.

This Local Water Plan is approved through June 30, 2016.