YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — A backup irrigation system project in Washington state has successfully diverted water after severe damage was discovered on the original concrete pipeline.
Yakima Herald-Republic reports that Union Gap Irrigation District officials started and completed a water detour project after discovering the original pipe was cracked and distorted.
Officials say the backup project installed two pipes and over 2 miles (3 kilometers) of piping saving millions of dollars of crops.
District officials say the system was successful but added higher electricity costs.
Officials say they believe the pipeline was damaged by a slow-moving landslide first detected at Rattlesnake Ridge in 2017.
Officials say the traditional canal diverted water from the Yakima River to an area north of Zillah servicing more than 5 square miles (13 square kilometers) of farmland.