[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 126 (Monday, August 3, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE QUINCY-COLUMBIA BASIN IRRIGATION DISTRICT

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                           HON. DAN NEWHOUSE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 3, 2026

  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary 
milestone in the history of American reclamation, Western agriculture, 
and responsible local stewardship.
  On June 30, 2026, the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District in 
Quincy, Washington, made its final construction repayment obligation 
associated with its portion of the Columbia Basin Project.
  This is more than the closing of an account. It is the fulfillment of 
a promise made across generations.
  The Columbia Basin Project is one of the great infrastructure 
achievements in the history of the American West.
  At the center of the Project is the Grand Coulee Dam, one of 
America's most remarkable public works.
  Through the Project's pumping plants, reservoirs, canals, laterals, 
and drains, water from the Columbia River is lifted, stored, delivered, 
reused, and put to beneficial use.
  What was once arid ground today serves over 700,000 irrigated acres 
sustaining the production of potatoes, apples, wheat, corn, hay, 
grapes, livestock, and many other crops.
  It also supports processors, equipment dealers, truck drivers, local 
banks, schools, small businesses, and rural communities whose futures 
are tied to the land.
  Today, the Columbia Basin Project supports a diverse agricultural 
landscape that helps feed families across the country and around the 
world.
  So we honor the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District, its 
irrigators, its landowners, its employees, and the generations of 
Central Washington families who made this achievement possible.
  I congratulate the District on this historic accomplishment, and I 
took forward to the continued success of Central Washington agriculture 
for generations to come.

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