01 May Did you know the Columbia Basin Project supports over 10,000 farms?
Did you know the Columbia Basin Project (CBP) generates over 13,000 jobs, three million recreational visits, and 10,000 farms that produce foods we consume daily?
The fruits and vegetables grown make up a large percentage of Washington’s crops, estimated at over $3 billion dollars in production value. Nearly two thirds of Washington’s potatoes and one third of Washington’s wheat are grown in the area. Apples are the number one crop in Washington as well as in the nation. Grant, Franklin, Adams, and Lincoln counties alone make up one third of Washington State’s agricultural value.
The Columbia Basin is valuable to the state and national food supply thanks to CBP’s almost 700,000 acres of irrigated land. With access to sustainable water farmers in the CBP can serve to support, secure, and grow the national food supply. As the U.S. experiences droughts leading to food shortages, the CBP becomes a more critical asset.
Continued development of the CBP and completion of the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP) transforms the area into a reliable resource to battle the national food supply issue. Planning for the future must include addressing aging infrastructure wells going dry or pumping poor quality water. Both could affect the food supply.
Next time you are at the grocery store, consider the produce in your cart: many of those items are possible thanks to the irrigated land in the Columbia Basin. If you live, work, or play in Washington state, the CBP impacts YOU!