The River Runs Dry: A Drought Threatens White Bluffs
Record-low water levels in the Columbia River leave irrigation systems high and dry, forcing farmers to brace for a parched season.
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The Columbia River is lower now than it has ever been at this season in the memory of old-timers. The cold, backward spring, with practically no warm weather to thaw the snow, is the cause. Because the Hanford company extended its pumping station intake at Coyote Rapids, it will be able to provide water by April 1st. However, the water level is far below the intake of the White Bluffs Water Company’s plant. Unless there is a decided change in the weather within the next ten days, it will be some time after April 1st before those patrons receive water. There has been little rainfall since the close of the last irrigation season, resulting in very little moisture in the ground.
“The Columbia river is lower now than it was ever known before at this season of the year in the memory of the oldtimers.”
White Bluffs was eventually cleared for the Hanford Nuclear Site, fundamentally altering the local relationship with the Columbia River. Today, managing the river's flow—balancing agricultural irrigation needs with environmental conservation and power production—remains the central existential challenge of the region.
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