04/17/06 CREP explored for Odessa aquifer area

Washington Ag April 17, 2006 A conservation land retirement program is being looked at as an interim solution to reduce irrigation water demand on the declining Odessa aquifer. Ron Fode is a deep well irrigator and executive board member of the Columbia Basin Development League. Fode: "So we have a possibility of bringing in a CREP, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, to see if we can possibly shutdown some wells. Maybe 10-thousand, 20-thousand, 30-thousand acres. We are going to go through and make a list of what we can do and cannot be done. At the same time we want to keep in mind the economic impact out there also." Like CRP, CREP involves long term contracts for which landowners receive rental payments. Fode says a meeting addressing CREP and the Odessa aquifer is scheduled for this Wednesday, April 19th at the Moses Lake Fire Hall at 6:30 p.m. Officials of the Washington State Conservation Commission and Farm Service Agency will be there and interested land owners, irrigators, and businesses are urged to attend. I'm Bob Hoff.