The Bureau of Reclamation issued a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for public comment authorizing the City of Hermiston to construct a recycled water pipeline and outfall structure for agricultural water deliveries using the West Extension Irrigation District's (WEID) Main Canal. The comment period ends on January 20, 2011.

The Draft EA describes the construction of water delivery structures to be used to transport water from the municipal Recycled Water Plant (RWP) across federal right-of-way to the WEID for summer agricultural purposes. These improvements will also help the city discharge high quality Class A recycled water to the Umatilla River that will not adversely impact threatened salmonids species while meeting mandatory pollution discharge levels for the next 20 years.

The proposed project involves installing a 7,500-foot long, 18-inch diameter main pressure pipeline located under the Umatilla River that will connect to the RWP. The pipeline will then link to a Flow Distribution Structure (FDS) containing valves that can direct flow to the river outfall pool upstream of Three-Mile Dam or the Main Canal depending on seasonal need.

Funding for the project was secured under Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Water State Revolving Fund to improve Hermiston's current water treatment facility, associated recycled water pipelines, and outfalls structures. The EA prepared by Reclamation only addresses the city's RWP pipeline installation on Reclamation property and the construction of the water outfall facility on the WEID Main Canal.

For additional information, or to request a copy of the Draft EA, please contact Candace McKinley, Environmental Program Manager with the Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area Office at 1917 Marsh Road, Yakima WA 98901 or at (509)-575-5848. More information about the Draft EA can be found at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/ea/oregon/hermistonwater/hermistionpipelinedraftea.pdf