How does electricity from Grand Coulee Dam help pay for the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project?

The Columbia Basin Irrigation Project is a massive undertaking that relies on the Grand Coulee Dam for both its water supply and its financial sustainability.

The dam facilitates the project by pumping water from Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, the reservoir created by the dam, to irrigate arid lands that were previously covered by desert vegetation. Because the project is expensive to maintain and operate, a major share of its costs is covered by the sale of the hydroelectric power generated at the Grand Coulee Dam. This model of financing reflects the broader practice of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which designs its projects to be financed, at least in part, by those who benefit from the water and power resources they provide.12