The Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, or GWMA is a pro-active, local planning effort for the reduction of nitrate concentrations in the ground water, and is intended to lessen the need for mandated control measures through a cooperative effort between local citizens and government through the creation of a GWMA plan to reduce nitrate levels in the Columbia Basin. The partners of the GWMA believe that the planned implementation of best management practices (BMP's) will lead toward improving trends in the groundwater nitrate levels of the Columbia Basin.
The Columbia Basin GWMA is consisted of Grant, Adams, and Franklin Counties. Together, the three counties in the Groundwater Management Area make up about 5,800 square miles.
GWMA Programs
The Columbia Basin GWMA Plan establishes a foundation for the implementation of the locally based solutions for the reduction of nitrate in the ground water of the Columbia Basin. The following are examples of the kinds of programs and studies being implemented to inform and educate the GWMA community.
A program which begun in 1998 with the sampling of nearly 600 privately owned wells in the GWMA area, for nitrate concentrations. The sampling occurs every two years.
A cost-share program for grower participants who develop and implement moisture monitoring programs for their irrigation water usage throughout the growing season.
Identifies and maps the hydro-stratigraphy of the GWMA baseline sampling wells; well casing opening interval; and the hydro-stratigraphic unit the well is open to. The project will create area wide stratigraphy maps to improve our understanding of how to manage water quality.
A technical assistance program for dairy and feedlot operators in the GWMA area, offering assistance for the development and maintenance of dairy nutrient management planning and NPDES permitting.
Aims to determine the proportion of infants exposed to high nitrate levels, and investigate the relationship between exposure to nitrate, enteric infection, and blood methemoglobin levels.
An educational program developed for students in K-12 grades to teach them about groundwater flows and how contamination of drinking water occurs.
Combines land use practices and data such as soil types, cultivated acres, crop rotations, and irrigation patterns within the GWMA.
