YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - A long-awaited water right has been delivered to the central Washington town of Bridgeport.
The town has struggled to get new water on a river that must balance the needs of hydropower, irrigation and protecting endangered salmon.
Officials say a settlement will provide a reliable supply of drinking water for at least the next 20 years.
The new water right allows a total of 1,100 acre-feet of water per year to be drawn from the city’s existing wells. Releases from Sullivan Lake to the Columbia River will offset the new well withdrawals.
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