From Wood to Fiberglass and Lined Concrete: The Naches-Selah Irrigation District’s Infrastructure Updates
This 50-foot wooden trestle and flume linked two concrete tunnels across a canyon.
T
he Naches-Selah Irrigation District (NSID) serves around 11,000 acres in the foothills of the eastern slope of the Cascades. Its history dates back to the late 19th century—and in some cases, so does its infrastructure. Up until a few years ago, the NSID had extensive stretches of wood-stave pipes and wood-trestle flumes in its system. Since around 2005, it has made a concerted effort to replace those structures with modern infrastructure made of fiberglass pipe, lined concrete canals, and other materials. In this interview, NSID Manager Justin Harter tells Irrigation Leader about the NSID’s impressive modernization efforts. Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about your background.
40 | IRRIGATION LEADER | October 2020
Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about the NSID. Justin Harter: The NSID is located in northern Yakima County, in Washington State’s Yakima River basin. It adjoins the Naches River, and the main canal flows about 15 miles, serving the foothills of the eastern slope of the Cascades. It’s a great area for tree fruit: A lot of apples, cherries, and pears are grown in the area. Construction on the Selah Valley Canal started in 1888, and it has been flowing since 1892. Many of the families that homesteaded this area have grown into large fruit businesses, corporations, and grower-packer operations, spreading out from the district across the state into other parts of the Northwest. The NSID is a non-Bureau of Reclamation project. The NSID serves about 11,000 acres, making us smaller than some of the neighboring districts. I call us a big little district: irrigationleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NSID.
Justin Harter: I’ve been working for irrigation districts for pretty much my whole career. I’ve been with the NSID since 2005. Prior to that, I was with the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District. I’ve had a rewarding career so far and have done a lot of modernization and improvement of
irrigation canals and distribution systems. I also enjoy living in a rural area with ready access to outdoor activities.
