The Tour of Knowledge is sponsoring a free educational tour of the Umatilla Water Basin Aquifer Recharge Project, on Wednesday, May 15 at 2 p.m.
JR Cook, executive director of the Umatilla Water Basin Water Commission, will be hosting the event.
The Aquifer Recharge project is a test pilot program that is using water pumped in the winter from the Columbia River to recharge basalt aquifers with water that can then be used for irrigation in the summer. It utilizes the existing irrigation infrastructure to move water into storage and out to farmers’ fields when needed.
Gov. John Kitzhaber has included this project in his Columbia River-Umatilla Solutions TaskForce program.
Tours are open to the public and free. The carpool will meet at the Hermiston Masonic Lodge parking lot at 1 p.m. and depart at 1:30.
The League of Women Voters of West Umatilla County is working in partnership with the Tour of Knowledge to tour local water projects. Next month, the Tour of Knowledge will visit the Bureau of Reclamation Water Exchange project.
For more information about the tours or to sign up, contact Georgia Laramore at 541-561-8979 or e-mail hermistonleo@yahoo.com
