The Columbia Basin GWMA Plan

The Columbia Basin GWMA Plan is the official planning document for the implementation of strategies and best management practices for the reduction of nitrate levels in the groundwater of the Columbia Basin.

In 2001, the GWMA Plan was adopted by the Boards of Commissioners of Adams, Franklin and Grant Counties, and certified by the Washington State Department of Ecology in concurrence with the local citizen's recommendations for strategies and best management practices to reduce nitrate levels in the Columbia Basin.  Below is an executive summary of the GWMA Plan.

Due to the size and volume of the document, the GWMA Plan is not available on the website.  A copy of the GWMA Plan may be obtained on CD or in Print by contacting the GWMA Project Office, 449 E. Cedar Blvd, Othello, WA  99344, 509-488-3409 or e-mail cbgwma@televar.com.

Executive Summary

of the

Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area Plan

The residents of Adams , Franklin , and Grant Counties are stewards of the groundwater resources underlying their counties for current and future generations.  Concerns over high groundwater nitrate concentrations led to official designation of the tri-county area as a Ground Water Management Area (GWMA) by Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) in February 1998.  As the Lead Agency, the Boards of County Commissioners of the three counties joined with more than 100 local volunteers to form and direct the GWMA efforts.  They have developed this document as their plan to inform the public and guide their groundwater protection activities focusing on the nitrate problem.  The staff of the local Conservation Districts, Health Districts, and county governments will coordinate, facilitate, and implement the GWMA activities.  

The local GWMA participants recognize that nitrogen used in irrigated agriculture, meaning all nitrogen-loading activities within the irrigated areas of the three counties (see Attachment D4), has likely been contributing source of nitrate input into the region’s groundwater.  They have agreed that the most effective methods that will lead to improving regional groundwater nitrate levels in the GWMA are the following:

• Widespread irrigation water management and use of nutrient management guidelines in fertilizer use and application on agricultural lands.
• Public education about drinking water safety and groundwater protection.

The plan presents:  1) the current understanding of the nature of the groundwater nitrate problem and sources that may contribute nitrate to groundwater, 2) management strategies recommended by the local GWMA volunteers to reduce groundwater nitrate levels, and 3) a process to implement the strategies and monitor their progress.  The plan contains specific goals used to guide implementation of nitrate management strategies.

 Monitoring implementation of the strategies and progress in achieving the GWMA goals will be conducted on a regular basis.  The monitoring results and results of evaluation of progress made in achieving the GWMA goals and objectives will be reported by 31 December 2005 .