Oregon Irrigation Districts Receive Bureau Water Challenge Grants 

Columbia Basin Bulletin

November 30, 2007  

Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Robert Johnson recognized six local irrigation districts who received Water 2025 Challenge Grant awards on November 28 in Hood River , Ore.

The districts were recognized during the Johnson's remarks at the Oregon Water Resources Congress Annual Conference at the Best Western Hood River Inn.

"These irrigation districts and their partners, have committed to making improvements in their water delivery systems," said Johnson. "The federal dollars we can offer will help these districts accomplish even more."

The Oregon districts are Central Oregon Irrigation District, East Fork Irrigation District, Klamath Irrigation District, North Unit Irrigation District and Swalley Irrigation District. The Owyhee South Board of Control, which serves lands in Idaho and Oregon , is included in this recognition. The Water 2025 grants will help fund the following projects:

-- Central Oregon Irrigation District: The district will partner with North Unit, Ochoco, Swalley, and Tumalo Irrigation Districts to install flow measurement telemetry stations at 18 strategic locations across the 5 districts to establish baseline water data and to measure the benefits of water conservation projects. The project will save an estimated 5,510 acre-feet of water per year. The estimated total project cost is $257,094, including a Water 2025 contribution of $121,722.

-- East Fork Irrigation District: The district will install 8,900 feet of buried 30-inch coated steel pipe and 3,000 feet of buried 6-inch pipe, and construct a siphon beneath Neal Creek . The project will save an estimated 1,745 acre-feet of water per year. The estimated total project cost is $4,327,674, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.

-- Klamath Irrigation District: The district will retrofit an outdated inefficient pump station to reduce or eliminate excess pumping and related power costs. Improved efficiency will make water available for water banking/conservation programs in the Klamath Project. The estimated total project cost is $697,231, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.

-- North Unit Irrigation District: The district will convert one-half mile of open ditch to two parallel HDPE pipes. This project is phase 1 of a 3-year project to pipe 4 miles of open earthen ditch. The project will save an estimated 61 acre-feet per year for phase 1; 567 acre-feet once the entire 4 miles is piped. The estimated total project cost is $630,129, including a Water 2025 contribution of $237,002.

-- Owyhee South Board of Control: The district will convert 5.4 miles of upper and lower South Canal 0.1 Lateral to enclosed pipe and construct two sediment ponds. The project will save an estimated 692 acre-feet of water per year. The estimated total project cost is $633,420, including a Water 2025 contribution of $135,586.

-- Swalley Irrigation District: The district will replace 1.7 miles of open canal with pipe and install SCADA equipment. The project will save an estimated 165,386 acre-feet of water per year. The estimated total project cost is $3,862,419, including a Water 2025 contribution of $300,000.

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