New Leadership at Columbia Irrigation District AN INTERVIEW WITH CLANCY FLYNN in 1997. I had my first job in irrigation in 2000, working seasonally for the Wenatchee Reclamation District. I then attended Eastern Washington University, but I left school and took a full-time job with the Wenatchee Reclamation District as a canal patrolman. I finished my degree in business management at Western Governors University and went on to manage the Selah-Moxee Irrigation District. After that, I was an assistant watermaster at the QuincyColumbia Basin Irrigation District, and then I managed the South Board of Control in Idaho, which covered the Ridgeview Irrigation District in Oregon and the Gem Irrigation District in Idaho. After that, I came back to Washington and worked in the private sector for 2 years, and, as of June 2018, I have been managing CID.
Kris Polly: Please tell us about yourself and your professional background.
Kris Polly: Did you grow up on a farm with irrigation?
Clancy Flynn: I was born in Frenchtown, Montana, and I graduated from high school in Ephrata, Washington,
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Clancy Flynn: Actually, no; my father was a long-haul trucker when I was growing up. We were not close to irrigation or agriculture. My father did do some work for a IRRIGATION LEADER
PHOTO COURTESY OF CLANCY FLYNN.
Colombia Irrigation District (CID), located in southeastern Washington, delivers water to approximately 10,000 acres on close to 7,000 parcels of land. CID holds one of the oldest water rights in the Yakima River basin, with the district having officially formed in 1917. The CID system begins at the Wanawish Dam along the Yakima River and delivers water to the town of Kennewick. The CID system consists primarily of open canals, both lined and unlined, which total approximately 41 miles in length. CID is currently building its vision for the future to proactively ensure its water delivery capability for many years to come. Kris Polly, editor-in-chief of Irrigation Leader, spoke with Clancy Flynn, CID general manager, about the district's history, challenges, and forward-thinking vision.
