East Columbia Basin Irrigation District

What East Columbia Basin Irrigation District does

East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) is a political subdivision of the State of Washington and the largest irrigation district in the state, operating under federal Columbia Basin Project authorization to deliver surface water across up to 472,000 acres in central Washington. It currently serves 2,800+ landowners across 169,000 developed acres in Grant, Adams, and Lincoln counties, supplying water to cropland that produces 89 crop varieties and generates $304.7M in annual economic crop value (2021). The district's infrastructure footprint includes 86 miles of canals, 534 miles of laterals, 917 miles of drains, 53 pumping plants, 100 pumping units, and an East Low Canal system with 4,500 cfs design capacity. ECBID's core product is surface water delivery, with revenue generated through per-acre assessments, O&M charges, tolls, and a Construction Debt Service Charge (CDSC) of approximately $115/acre/year (capped at $190/acre/year for 30 years) for landowners connecting to OGWRP delivery systems.

The district is the lead agency executing the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP), a multi-decade infrastructure initiative replacing declining Odessa aquifer wells with Columbia River surface water across approximately 87,000 associated acres. OGWRP delivery systems are pressurized pipeline builds with high-horsepower pumping plants (e.g., the EL 47.5 station with six pumps up to 1,250 hp delivering 63,000 gallons per minute across 9 miles of pipe). Two systems are operational (EL 47.5 since April 2021, EL 86.4 since April 2025), two are in active construction (EL 84.7, EL 80.6), and additional MOUs were signed in April 2026. The program is funded through a hybrid capital stack exceeding $220M cumulatively — including $126M+ from the State of Washington, $45M+ from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, $49.4M from the USDA NRCS, $32.8M from the Washington State Legislature, and $16.8M in landowner-financed municipal bonds. ECBID partners with the Bureau of Reclamation, NRCS, Washington Department of Ecology, two sister CBP irrigation districts (South Columbia Basin, Quincy-Columbia Basin), the Columbia Basin Conservation District, and consulting firms Farmers Conservation Alliance and Parametrix. Digital touchpoints are limited: an online water-ordering system launched for the 2023 season, a text-message notification system, and a public website.

Name

East Columbia Basin Irrigation District

Legal name

East Columbia Basin Irrigation District

Website

https://ecbid.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ECBID is the largest irrigation district in Washington State, delivering Columbia Basin Project surface water to over 2,800 landowners across 169,000 developed acres of cropland while executing the multi-decade Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Othello

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Irrigation Water Delivery Services: ECBID provides reliable water supply for irrigation to cropland. Revenue is generated through assessments, tolls, and charges paid by landowners. Water delivery contracts require landowners to pay Construction Debt Service Charge (CDSC) and standard O&M rates.
2. Processing Fees: $2.00/acre processing fee for OGWRP acreage allocation requests. Additional $100/acre for design process initiation.
3. Construction Debt Service Charge (CDSC): Landowners pay CDSC for OGWRP delivery systems, currently around $115/ac/yr, not to exceed $190/ac/yr for 30 years. Additional cost for 30-year payment is approximately $123/ac/yr.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

East Columbia Basin Irrigation District delivers reliable irrigation water to agricultural landowners across central Washington State through the East Low Canal System and Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP). The district serves over 2,800 landowners with 169,000 developed acres by operating 86 miles of canals, 534 miles of laterals, 917 miles of drains, and 53 pumping plants. Core revenue is generated through annual assessments, tolls, and charges paid by landowners for irrigation water delivery and participation in the OGWRP infrastructure replacement program.

Product overview

The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District operates a unified irrigation water delivery infrastructure centered on the Columbia Basin Project. The core offering is surface water delivery through the East Low Canal system (4,500 cfs capacity) and associated laterals to approximately 169,000 developed acres. The flagship initiative is the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP), which constructs pressurized pipeline systems and pumping plants to replace declining aquifer wells. The District offers online water ordering capabilities and maintains extensive canal infrastructure including 86 miles of canals, 534 miles of laterals, 917 miles of drains, 53 pumping plants, and 100 pumping units. Services also include landowner fee management, permitting, and text notification systems for service updates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Columbia Basin Project Irrigation Water Delivery The district's primary service delivering reliable Columbia Basin Project surface water to irrigate cropland across 169,000 developed acres within the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, serving over 2,800 landowners.
• Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program (OGWRP) Regional infrastructure program replacing declining Odessa Subarea groundwater wells with Columbia Basin Project surface water through pressurized pipeline systems and pumping plants, targeting development of delivery systems across 87,000 acres in Grant, Adams, and Lincoln counties.
• East Low Canal System Water Delivery Main canal system serving Moses Lake, Warden, and Othello areas with a design capacity of 4,500 cfs, providing surface water to district landowners and supporting the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District's Connell area via the East Low Canal.

Quantifiable outcome

• EL 86.4 system eliminated use of 16 wells, conserving 16,143 acre-feet (5.3 billion gallons) annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Washington State Department of EcologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in OGWRP through Office of Columbia River, working with ECBID on water rights, permits, and implementing Odessa Subarea Special Study FEIS.
• Columbia Basin Conservation District (CBCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ECBID to facilitate the OGWRP watershed planning effort. CBCD consolidates conservation districts serving Grant County and irrigated portions of Adams County since 1945.
• Columbia Basin Development LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization tasked with funding expansion of Columbia Basin Project. Key partner in securing funding and awareness for OGWRP.
• Grant County Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in watershed planning and OGWRP implementation. Serves all of Grant County and the irrigated portion of Adams County.
• South Columbia Basin Irrigation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three CBP irrigation districts collaborating on the Columbia River Initiative and OGWRP. Also serves Connell (Block 18) area via East Low Canal.
• Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three CBP irrigation districts collaborating on CBP Coordinated Conservation Program and OGWRP.
• Farmers Conservation AllianceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssisting ECBID and NRCS with the OGWRP watershed planning process.
• ParametrixminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssisting ECBID and NRCS with the OGWRP watershed planning process.
• National Water Resources AssociationminorOthersDistrict affiliation for industry networking and advocacy.
• Washington State Water Resources AssociationminorOthersDistrict affiliation for state-level industry networking.
• Pacific Northwest Waterways AssociationminorOthersDistrict affiliation for regional waterway infrastructure advocacy.
• Family Farm AllianceminorOthersDistrict affiliation for agricultural water advocacy.
• Washington State Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership established to create pathway for completion of OGWRP and secure water for agricultural producers.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District: Washington State irrigation district serving Yakima Basin agricultural landowners with surface water delivery and pressurized pipeline systems. Operates a similar mix of canals, laterals, and pumping infrastructure funded through a mix of assessments and grant programs.
• Kittitas Reclamation District: Washington State irrigation district delivering water to farms in the Kittitas Valley from the Yakima Project. Comparable as a Bureau of Reclamation project district serving agricultural landowners with a similar assessment-based revenue model.
• Roza Irrigation District: Washington State irrigation district diverting water from the Yakima River to serve agricultural landowners in the Yakima Valley. Comparable in function (assessments, O&M charges, acreage-based pricing) and regulatory environment, though geographically distinct.
• Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District: The third Columbia Basin Project irrigation district collaborating with ECBID on the CBP Coordinated Conservation Program and OGWRP. Operates similar canal-based irrigation water delivery for agricultural landowners in the Quincy area of central Washington.
• Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District: Washington State irrigation district in the Yakima Basin that delivers irrigation water to agricultural landowners through Bureau of Reclamation storage. Mirrors ECBID's structure as a small public district with assessment-funded O&M.
• South Columbia Basin Irrigation District: One of the three Columbia Basin Project irrigation districts, collaborating with ECBID on OGWRP and the Columbia River Initiative. Serves landowners around the Connell area via the East Low Canal, making it a direct operational peer in the same service geography.

Broad incumbents

• Westlands Water District: The largest irrigation district in the United States, serving approximately 600,000 acres of farmland in California's Central Valley. Comparable as a large-scale agricultural water delivery utility, but with very different climate, regulatory, and water-rights dynamics.
• Imperial Irrigation District: California irrigation district delivering Colorado River water to roughly 500,000 acres of Imperial Valley farmland, with comparable surface water delivery infrastructure and assessment-based funding. Much larger in scale and broader in scope (also power generation), with significant Colorado River water-supply risk.

Others

• Bureau of Reclamation — Pacific Northwest Region: Federal agency that owns the underlying Columbia Basin Project infrastructure and provides major OGWRP funding (>$45M since 2004). Not a competitor but a critical counterparty — the same role Reclamation plays for other CBP districts and Yakima Project districts.

Regional players

• Boise Project Board of Control: Idaho entity overseeing five irrigation districts (including Boise, Nampa, and Meridian) on the Boise Project, a Bureau of Reclamation irrigation development. Comparable at the multi-district governance level and as a public surface water delivery utility, but in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecbid

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about East Columbia Basin Irrigation District