Oregon Public Broadcasting

Eastern Washington cities are grappling with how to share water -- with fish, farmers and residents. The City of Kennewick recently received a $1 million state grant to study storing millions of gallons of Columbia River water in underground basalt formations. Correspondent Anna King reports.

The tension hits in summer when people and salmon need Columbia River water at the same time.

That’s why Kennewick managers want to draw water during the high-flow winter months and store it underground.

Peter Beaudry, with the City of Kennewick, says the city will have to pay more than $1 million of its own to complete the project. But he says that’s more economical than building a giant above-ground tank.

Peter Beaudry: "You are not going to get evaporation, you are going to be able to help the environment recharge aquifers and it’s going to be beneficial for the environmental standpoint and also beneficial for the community standpoint."

Underground storage is an experiment, with no guarantee of a return on investment. Still, several other cities are also taking the plunge, including: Walla Walla, Seattle, Federal Way and Salem, Oregon.