Lewiston Orchards Water Exchange and Title Transfer

The Lewiston Orchards Water Exchange and Title Transfer Project is a multi-phase project involving collaboration between the Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District (LOID), Nez Perce Tribe (NPT), Lower Clearwater Exchange Project (LCEP), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Bureau of Reclamation (BoR).

Specific to the Idaho PCSRF program, the goal of this project is to restore and protect instream flow in ESA-listed steelhead streams and to provide delivery of irrigation water to LOID customers, which will take place via a water right transfer from the current surface diversion irrigation system to a groundwater fed irrigation system. PCSRF funds awarded for this phase of the project were used for well site preparation and well drilling for LOID Well #6. Future phases of the project to complete Well #6 will be funded by BoR, NPT, and LOID, and expected to be completed by June 2022. Well #6 is expected to produce 4.5 cfs which will add instream flow protection for 4.5 cfs to 36.64 miles of stream in the Lapwai Creek watershed.

Site preparation work tasks included the following: mobilization, blasting, earthwork for access road, earthwork for pad excavation, compaction testing, and utility corridor development. Well drilling consisted of drilling the hole for the well.
Permitting work was completed through the City of Lewiston to secure a conditional use permit to comply with the Lewiston Land Use Ordinance. The Nez Perce Tribe provided $27,215 as cash match for site work and well drilling of Well #6.

This project will provide final engineering and site work needed prior to successful development of Well #6 which when developed will protect 4.5 cfs instream flow to 36.64 miles of ESA-listed steelhead bearing Lapwai Creek. This is the second of five such wells planned to be developed in the well field for LOID irrigation water delivery system, which will replace the current surface water diversion used for irrigation. This work will contribute to increased stream flow for ESA-listed steelhead that spawn and rear in the Lapwai Creek watershed.