Do you have views about how water should be managed within your Basin? WSU would like to hear them!
In December 2020 and January 2021, WSU will be fielding a survey about water management to a random sample of owners of irrigated farms in the Okanogan, Methow, Walla Walla, and Yakima river basins.
How You Can Be Involved:
- Please complete your survey if you are contacted. If you have questions, please contact Joe Cook, at joe.cook@wsu.edu or by phone at (509) 335-3817.
- If you’d like to complete the survey but have not been contacted, you can! Please contact the survey lead, Joe Cook at joe.cook@wsu.edu or by phone at (509) 335-3817.
- To learn more, you can attend a community meeting (registration required). The community meetings will include a very short presentation about the project and the survey, by Joe Cook (survey lead) and Georgine Yorgey (extension lead). The bulk of the time will be devoted to Q&A and discussion.
Survey Overview
Washington State University scientists and collaborators will survey owners of irrigated farms this winter in the Okanogan, Methow, Walla Walla, and Yakima river basins. Insights from irrigators will help researchers develop innovations to foster water use efficiency for Northwest residents, agriculture, and the environment.
We hope that over time, the results will help irrigated farming yields and increase the value and security of water rights. The survey does not ask any questions that would put anyone’s water right at risk of relinquishment. All responses will be kept confidential.
The survey asks people about their use of weather forecasts and how they might best be improved, basic information about their operations, their views on water management policies, and their views and experience with water markets. It will be conducted on behalf of the WSU research team by Pacific Market Research during December 2020 and January 2021.
More About the Survey and the Project
You can take a look at the survey questions in advance. Choose one of two versions: one for water rights holders and one for growers who farm within irrigation districts.
The survey is part of Technology for Trade a research project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and led by the State of Washington Water Research Center, which focuses on developing new technology and practices that could provide better information to guide decisions about water – and ultimately, make more water available for people, fish and river flows. This WSU-led research should not be confused with a different Yakima Basin Water Marketing project led by the Kittitas Reclamation District.
Eligible water rights holders and irrigation district growers will be chosen at random to receive an invitation letter to participate. Invited participants can complete the survey on paper, or online using their personal access code at WaWaterSurvey.com (for water rights holders) or WaWaterResearch.com (for irrigation district growers). Anyone who would like to participate but has not received an invitation letter should contact Professor Cook at joe.cook@wsu.edu or by phone at (509) 335-3817.
Researchers will prepare a short report on survey results in spring 2021. This report will be posted publicly and shared with local community leaders and water managers. Please contact the team to receive a copy of the report when it is published.
For questions or more information on the survey, contact Joe Cook at joe.cook@wsu.edu or by phone at (509) 335-3817.