The water began flowing Monday through irrigation ditches, en route to central Washington's orchards, vineyards and vegetable fields. These waterways are empty during the winter months.
Cracks cover the sun-baked mud channel bottoms.
But the spring growing season has arrived and water is needed. While the West struggles with an energy crisis and a winter drought that keeps lake watchers nervous, the people in charge of delivering water to farmers calmly turned the valves and flipped the switches, feeding the region's multibillion-dollar agricultural industry. Mountain snowpack and reservoirs may be low this year, but Olson said he has no worries about the availability of water to grow crops. It will be delivered through concrete-lined canals and smaller ditches that have been scratched into the desert. Apple, pear and peach trees will get their dose of water.