Irrigation Districts

The water source servicing the irrigated lands within the district starts at Grand Coulee Dam, located in North Central Washington. The water is pumped up into the Banks Lake Reservoir. At the outlet of Banks Lake Reservoir is Dry Falls Dam, which regulates the amount of water entering into the irrigation project's Main Canal, which runs south from Dry Falls Dam to another reservoir called Billy Clapp Lake, formed by Pinto Dam. The Main Canal continues to a point North and East of Soap Lake, Washington, to the Main Canal Bifurcation. At this point, the Main Canal splits into the East Low Canal and the West Canal. The East Low Canal serves the East and South Columbia Basin Irrigation Districts, while the West Canal exclusively services the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District.

Irrigation Districts, including Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District, South Columbia Basin Irrigation District, and East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, contract, first with Reclamation, and then with landowners, to deliver irrigation water. Each Irrigation District operates and maintains many of the facilities used to deliver water to landowners, and have the statutory authority to make decisions on development, water delivery, payment for and distribution of new water supplies as available. Each irrigation district is a subdivision of the State government, self-governed by a Board of Directors.