A group of Mid-Columbia irrigators and the Washington Department of Ecology are sparring over a long-planned housing project for agricultural workers west of Paterson along the Columbia River. 

The Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association is calling on Gov. Bob Ferguson and other state leaders to address a “growing management failure” in Ecology’s Office of Columbia River that it says has stalled the project.  

Agency officials have reportedly canceled meetings, issued a vague preliminary groundwater permit and provided inconsistent guidance and information about project requirements and internal decision-making, according to the irrigators association.  

“Washington has made clear its commitment to expanding permanent farmworker housing,” said Darryll Olsen, a member of the association’s board, in a statement. “Ecology must align its actions with that commitment. These delays are unacceptable and must be corrected immediately.” 

Ecology officials, in a letter to state lawmakers concerned about the delays, said they are interested in reducing permitting delays and are working with the agricultural operator to move the project forward. However, the permit applicant has not provided all the necessary information necessary to mitigate impacts to water supplies from the project. 

“After hearing concerns from the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association questioning the soundness of our analysis, three of our most senior licensed hydrologists separately reviewed our work,” wrote Ecology director Casey Sixkiller. “All three agreed that our path forward was appropriate and grounded in the law.” 

The project involves permanent agricultural worker housing being pursued by Mercer Ranches since 2020. The irrigators association said it would provide new, permanent homes agricultural workers would own, “a model of dignified, stable housing that strengthens rural communities and supports the workforce that drives central Washington's agricultural economy.” 

Ecology said the project, as proposed, did not meet requirements mitigating the impacts of groundwater withdrawals. Ecology officials proposed an alternative mitigation strategy but have not received all the information needed from the applicant to issue a full water right permit, resulting in issuance of a preliminary one before a longer-term temporary permit is issued.  

“Once we receive and approve it, they can begin the initial aquifer testing needed for the temporary water right permit,” Sixkiller wrote.