Funding Secured for Mid-Columbia Basin Drought Preparedness Plan
- Lincoln County Conservation District
- Mar 17
- 1 min read
By: The Lincoln County Conservation District
The Lincoln County Conservation District, on behalf of the Columbia Basin Sustainable Water Coalition, secured a $230,000 grant from the Washington Department of Ecology to prepare a drought preparedness plan to help the Mid-Columbia basin prepare for and withstand the impacts of declining water supply and changing climate.
The planning area for this grant will be Franklin, Lincoln, Adams, and Grant counties. The intent of the Mid-Columbia Basin Drought Preparedness Plan will be to 1) assess the factors that make local communities vulnerable to drought, 2) assess the current level of drought preparedness in the region, 3) identify specific water supply-side and water demand-side projects and actions to decrease the region’s drought vulnerability, and 4) estimate the costs and timing for these projects and actions, and identify potential funding sources. It is the CBSWC’s intent to draft a drought preparedness plan that is adoptable by municipalities and communities within the project area, thereby opening avenues for local drought resiliency projects and funding.
Outreach related to this work will begin in Spring 2025. If you would like to be included in the initial outreach contact list, please email Elsa Bowen at ebowen@lincolndc.com. The drought preparedness plan will be the focus of the stakeholder meeting on May 15th. We hope you will join us!