Meet CBCD’s New Conservation Planner: Indira Kulkarni

The Columbia Basin Conservation District (CBCD) is excited to welcome Indira Kulkarni to our team as our new Conservation Planner!

Indira Kulkarni, CBCD's new Conservation Planner

Indira was born on the East Coast and has always had a deep appreciation for nature. After earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont in 2021, she decided to turn that passion into a career. She moved to Oregon, where she served with the Northwest Youth Conservation Corps and later worked for the environmental nonprofit Friends of Trees in Eugene. In 2023, Indira began pursuing a Master’s degree in Crop Science at Oregon State University, focusing on the impacts of pest management strategies on native species. During her studies, she witnessed firsthand the positive community impact of agricultural extension agents and local conservationists—an experience that inspired her to follow a similar path.

Now, Indira is bringing that passion and expertise to central Washington, where she will help local growers plan and implement irrigation efficiency projects through the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP). She looks forward to working directly with landowners to support sustainable water management and long-term agricultural viability across the Columbia Basin.

When she’s not in the field, you can find Indira hiking or skiing her way through Washington’s beautiful landscapes.

Interested in learning more about the OGWRP?

Visit www.ogwrp-programs.org to learn more about the regional effort to implement the Odessa Subarea Special Study FEIS (2012), which is the necessary infrastructure for farmers to exchange valid state-issued Odessa groundwater rights for Columbia Basin Project water.

Learn More About OGWRP