The Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area or GWMA is a pro-active, voluntary, local planning effort to reduce nitrate in groundwater, and is intended to lessen the need for mandated control measures through the creation of a groundwater management plan to reduce nitrate levels in the groundwater of the GWMA.

The Columbia Basin GWMA was formed by locally elected leaders and citizens of Adams, Franklin and Grant Counties in 1997 in response to scientific data that indicated the presence of nitrate in concentrations above what is considered naturally-occurring levels for this area of 10 mg/L.

In 1998, the Washington State Department of Ecology formally designated the three-county area as a Ground Water Management Area.  The GWMA designation offers a state-sponsored method for local citizens and government to work together in the development of a Ground Water Management Area Plan which offers sound locally-based, workable solutions to achieve ground water protection.

Hundreds of local citizens, technical advisors and consultants volunteered close to 50,000 hours of their time to examine and study all potential sources of nitrate.  These concerned citizens participating through Ground Water Advisory Committees or GWAC's and representing urban and rural residents, county land use planning and public health, irrigated and dryland agriculture, food processing, dairy, feedlot and cattlemen groups, municipal drinking water and wastewater systems, small rural water systems, private well owners, and environmental and recreational interests, have developed specific recommendations for reducing nitrate in the Columbia Basin.  The result of their efforts may be found in the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area Plan.