Growing Partnerships Bring New Soil Health Resources to the OGWRP

When conservation districts share ideas, resources, challenges, and successes, we’re able to get more meaningful conservation on the ground. That’s exactly what the Columbia Basin Conservation District’s growing collaboration with the Spokane Conservation District is all about.

We’re especially excited about one tangible outcome of our recent visits: welcoming Spokane Conservation District as a new partner in the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP). Together, CBCD and Spokane Conservation District will work to bring the Spokane CD’s Bio Farming Group outreach and expertise to Odessa-area producers, adding another important layer of soil health support as farms transition from deep groundwater to Columbia River surface water.

Staff from the Columbia Basin Conservation District and Spokane Conservation District tour the OGWRP's EL 47.5 with East Columbia Basin Irrigation District in July 2026.

Groundwater Replacement and Soil Health

For decades, agricultural producers in the Odessa Subarea have relied on the declining Odessa Subarea Aquifer to irrigate some of Washington’s most productive farmland. As groundwater levels have declined, producers have been forced to pump from increasingly deep wells. In many areas, this deeper groundwater contains elevated concentrations of salts and dissolved minerals that can negatively affect agricultural soils and increase the management challenges and costs facing producers.

Harold Crose, CBCD Senior Technical Advisor assess the soil composition of a field irrigated by the Odessa Subarea Aquifer

Groundwater replacement creates an opportunity to address both challenges.

Transitioning farms to a reliable Columbia River surface water supply protects the aquifer by reducing groundwater withdrawals while providing producers with higher-quality irrigation water. By pairing that transition with additional soil health outreach and technical assistance, OGWRP partners can also help producers address the impacts of poor groundwater quality, improve soil function, strengthen their agricultural operations, and build greater resilience for the future.

The collaboration with Spokane Conservation District and its Bio Farming Groups will complement CBCD’s existing work with producers and OGWRP partners by bringing additional knowledge, outreach, and practical soil health resources directly to the farms making this historic water transition.

Conservation Through Partnership

The recent collaboration also provided an opportunity for Spokane Conservation District representatives to see the OGWRP firsthand.

A special thank you goes to Jon Erickson and the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) for providing a tour of the OGWRP and sharing their knowledge and experience with our partners. As the lead OGWRP implementer, ECBID continues to play an essential role in moving groundwater replacement forward, and we are grateful for their continued partnership and support.

The scale and complexity of the OGWRP requires collaboration across conservation districts, irrigation districts, producers, state and federal agencies, researchers, and other partners. Each organization brings different expertise and resources to the table.

Staff from the Columbia Basin Conservation District and Spokane Conservation District tour the OGWRP's EL 47.5 Pump Station with Jon Erickson, East Columbia Basin Irrigation District in July 2026.

By working together, we can do more than replace groundwater. We can improve soil health, strengthen agricultural operations, conserve critical natural resources, and help sustain the long-term viability of irrigated agriculture in the Odessa Subarea.

Great conservation happens through great partnerships. And we’re excited about what we can accomplish together.