THE KID TOMORROW
As the Tri-Cities continues to grow, so will the Kennewick Irrigation District. That will require more water, expanded distribution facilities and ever more efficient systems.
Some of the specific projects on the KID’s drawing board are...
Providing water to the Red Mountain American Viticultural Area
*One of the region’s hottest new AVAs is developing all around Red Mountain, to the west of West Richland and east of Benton City. This isn’t something that will happen someday—it’s being built, planted and developed now. At the moment, wells can keep up with the demand for water. But only a few percent of the area is planted. A lot more water will be required for this area to see the future happen as expected. The KID has applied for a new water right—this one in the Columbia River—to help facilitate this.Finding a way to leave more water in the Yakima River
*This would require significant change to the KID’s physical structure, but ends up a win for everyone. This may involve adding a new water right in the Columbia River, or it may be as simple (not that anything involving governments is ever actually "simple") as getting permission to let the Yakima carry much of the water currently being drawn at Prosser till it’s carried down into the Columbia near Columbia Park, and THEN take it out, after the fish have ridden it down into the big river. There are many ways to accomplish this, and planners are sorting them out.Developing linear parks throughout the area
*As important as water is in this area, a system of canals is expensive to maintain and dangerous when warnings aren’t respected. The KID is currently developing proposals to work with local governments to find the money to replace canals with buried pipes, one section at a time, then develop parks over the top of the pipes. It’s an elegant solution: the county and cities acquire many new, large park areas in place of canals; the KID gets much more secure waterways; and parents have one less worry when their kids go out to play in the neighborhood.Dealing with encroachment issues
Maintenance is a BIG issue for the Kennewick Irrigation District. The failure of any part of the 90-mile long system of pipes and canals could have both serious and far-reaching consequences. That’s why the KID works to make sure that potential problems are caught well ahead of time.
As part of that work, the district must ensure that easements along KID canals and pipes are kept clear of obstructions that could impede access to the system. Any "use" (by buildings, plants or anything else) of the land within district rights-of-way without permission is an "encroachment."
Property owners whose land is subject to a KID easement need to make sure that the area subject to easement is clear of (to quote the KID’s policy #4-2, "Encroachment"), "...buildings, plants, trees, fences, landscaping, pools, irrigation systems, utility poles, or any other structure..."
A property owner may request a permit from the KID, allowing exception to be made for a specific use. Otherwise, if the area isn’t clear, the KID may clear it and bill the property owner for the work needed to bring it into compliance. To learn more, call 586-9111 and ask for customer service.