WORKING PAPER NO. 19
COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN PROJECT
For Water Supply and Water Quality Management
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF WATER
SUPPLY AND WATER QUALITY CONTROL ASPECTS
YAKIMA PROJECT, WASHINGTON
KENNEWICK DIVISION EXTENSION
DATE: December 1961
Prepared by
Reviewed by
Approved by
DISTRIBUTION
Project Staff
Cooperating Agencies
General
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
Public Health Service
Region IX
Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control
Room 570 Pittock Block
Portland 5, Oregon
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This working paper contains preliminary data and information
primarily intended for internal use by the Columbia River
Basin Project staff and cooperating agencies. The material
presented in this paper has not been fully evaluated and
should not be considered as final.
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REPORT ON YAKIMA RIVER BASIN STUDIES
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OP WATER
SUPPLY AND WATER QUALITY COMTROL ASPECTS
YAKIMA PROJECT, WASHINGTON
KENHEWICK DIVISION EXTENSION
Prepared at tho Request of the
Regional Director, United State*
Department of Interior
. Bureau oŁ Reclamation
Boise, Idaho
U.S. Department of Health, Education and Weifar*
Public Health Service
Water Supply and Pollution Control Program
Pacific Northwest
Region IX, Portland, Oregon
December 1961
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YAKIHA PROJECT. WASHIHGTCH
KEKKEHICK DIVISION EXTENSION
Preface
This report presents preliminary impressions relating to municipal
end industrial water supply and stream quality control aspects
associated with the proposed Kennewick Extension* Yakima Project,
Baching ton.
the project has been viewed froa tha standpoint of provisions set
forth in Public Law 85-500, Title III, Water Supply Act and Public
taw 84*660, Federal Kater Pollution Control Act, amended 1961
(PL 87-88).
Vnter Supply
The major municipal and industrial water users in the vicinity of the
proposed Kennewick Extension are located in the Eichland and Kennewick,
Washington areas. These areas, at the present time, are served by
waters taken both from underground sources and surface flows of the
Yakitaa and Columbia Rivers.
Project _Features
The Kennewick Division Extension (6,300 acres) is located in the
extreme lower portion oŁ the Yakima Valley about seven miles vest of
Richland and about fifteen miles northweDt of Kennewick.
The lands within the Extension would be served by waters diverted from
the Yakima River at the Proooar Diversion Dam and transported to the
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Chandler Canal and thence across the Yaklma River to the existing
Kennewick Main Canal. From near Klona, a diversion of 125 cubic feet
par second would be made to the irrigable lands of tha Extension*
Yakima River water diverted at the Prosser Dam would consist of natural
run-off, reservoir storage releases and return flow from upstream land
irrigation. During the months of July to October, and especially during
the latter part of this period, diverted water would consist almost
entirely of irrigation return flow*
Adaptability of.Project for Water Supply and Quality Control^
Owing to the fact that the cities of Richland and Kennewick are located
along the lower Yakima River and the Columbia River where relatively
abundant supplies of water are available, no shortage of water to
meet future increases in municipal and industrial demand in these
areas would be expected. It is believed further that no significant
future demand for municipal and/or industrial supply would develop
within the Kennewick Division Extension.
It should be pointed out also that tho lover Yakima River, during the
latter part of the irrigation season, becomes enriched with nutrient
and mineral materials leached from upstream agricultural lands. The
presence of these materials in combination with certain climatic and
temperature conditions could be expected at times to stimulate ex&esslve
growths of algae and other taste and odor producing organisms in the
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main river channel in the Prosser Fool and along the diver*ion canal*
of the project. Rev water in this condition ie difficult and expensive
to treat for domestic use and often cannot be returned to satisfactory
potability. In addition, little is known concerning human consumption
@f residual insecticides, pesticides and weedlcides that can remain
in treated waters originating from agricultural land uses.
Conclusiona
In view of the relative convenience of the existing sources and the
abundance of vater of suitable quality available in the Rlchland and
Keanewick area and the belief that municipal and industrial water demands
could not be expected to develop within the proposed project area,
provision for M&l water supply in the Kenncwick Division Extension
does not appear justifiable at this time.
Since the Kenncwick Division Extension would involve reuse of waters
already considered somewhat degraded in quality and the quality of
return flows resulting from this reuse could be further reduced, no
benefit assignable to the Extension for quality control appears possible.
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