Modernizing Irrigation Infrastructure in Central Oregon
An Important Step Toward Sustainable Water Use
Climate change and drought are driving a set of significant challenges for water distribution and availability in Central Oregon. How we manage water could help mitigate these challenges and create a brighter future for our farms, rivers, and communities.
The greatest opportunities in the Upper Deschutes Basin for increasing water supplies fall under two management options: water conservation projects (e.g. piping, and on-farm infrastructure upgrades) and market-based incentives (e.g. water leasing, transfers, and duty reduction). To successfully address water scarcity issues in the Deschutes Basin and redistribute wasted water to support our rivers and buoy productive agriculture, we need an integrated plan that implements both management options, including the piping of private laterals — the discrete canals on private property that carry water from irrigation district's main canals to farms and private lands.
In order to better understand how local irrigators currently receive water throughout Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID) and gauge the level of interest in piping private laterals, Central Oregon LandWatch, the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance, and Owen Murphy, professor of Health and Human Performance at Central Oregon Community College, implemented a joint survey to all COID patrons in September 2024. This survey was inspired by conversations with patrons about what actions we can take in the Deschutes Basin to eliminate waste and better support productive agriculture.
We believe that the best ideas for improving water management will come from irrigators themselves — the people most directly affected by the problems. Analysis of survey responses revealed a range of perspectives on private lateral piping projects. Notably, a significant number of patrons who responded were eager to learn more about or directly participate in opportunities to pipe their systems. These are detailed below and illustrated by anonymized quotes from COID patrons who responded to our survey.
Piped private laterals would reduce water waste.
Just like piping main canals, piping private laterals can prevent transmission losses due to seepage and other forms of leakage. Respondents recognized the potential for private lateral piping projects to conserve water and reduce waste.
Patron Perspectives:
“Everyone knows so much water is lost in ditches. It is common sense. All irrigation water should be piped if we are truly concerned about water usage.”
“I know that there is drastically less evaporation if the canal is piped. Best to get the water where it needs to go rather than have it seep back into the ground on its way.”
“Piping is the most logical and efficient way to preserve as much water in the system as possible.”
“Piping my lateral was one of the first things completed after purchasing my property. This was completed in the early 1990's. Over 800' of 8" pipe was installed from near the weir to a distribution box and nearly 1,000' of 3" pipe to individual delivery points. I am a proponent of piping laterals. This project has not only saved water but improved delivery service.”
Piped private laterals would eliminate debris, pollutants, and invasive weeds from irrigation systems.
Open canals and private laterals are exposed to debris and can often act as vectors for invasive plant species. Piping these conveyance systems can reduce the amount of debris entering laterals, limit clogging, and prevent the spread of weeds across irrigation districts.
Patron Perspectives:
“I think everything should be piped for the purposes of water conservation and keeping weed seed out of the water.”
“What’s lacking are funds. However, it would be great to pipe the entire system. It would: reduce evaporative losses, invasive plant seeds from coming into my pastures, and reduce upstream pollutants.”
“It would cut down on evapotranspiration as well as reduce keeping the lateral clear of debris.”
“Piping would solve many issues with leakage, weeds, weed seed spread, and efficiency would improve.”
Piped private laterals would solve issues and inefficiencies that arise from shared systems and a lack of enforcement of water usage.
With open private laterals, especially for those on rotations, water delivery can be unpredictable, inefficient, and often untimely. Patrons recognized that piping—with associated measurement and metering infrastructure—can ensure that they get the right amount of water at the right time for their needs, regardless of their neighbors’ water uses.
Patron Perspectives:
“I’m at the end of the ditch. There’s water misuse and outright theft on my ditch. Piping solves a lot of problems, the only downside I can see is costs.”
“Piping would get water to the pastures much quicker and to the neighbor on their water days. We lose half a day of irrigation when sending water to make sure the neighbor is getting their water timely.”
“We have about 200yds of canal that runs through a neighboring property to get to the 4 of us on rotation that requires constant maintenance and access, and we experience severe water loss due to the condition of the canal. Piping it would be amazing.”
“Unregulated. No enforcement. Many do not observe rotation. Expected to take water over private locations at 3am. No clear liability detail of property damage or injury. Complaints to the district are ineffective. Now I understand the wild west water wars.”
Updating an irrigation system to better meet the demands of high desert water use in the 21st century.
The irrigation infrastructure and legal frameworks responsible for water delivery and management in the Deschutes Basin date back to the late 19th century. Survey respondents recognized that updating these outdated systems could tremendously benefit modern-day irrigators by improving reliability and efficiency.
Patron Perspectives:
“The way water is managed is terrible, and antiquated... Our rights originated at the turn of the century (1900 not 2000) when our property was larger and homesteaded, why can't we bring the water system and water management into this century? The canal system was a massive feat of engineering they did with very little technology, it is time to modernize it.”
“We have THE most archaic, grandfathered, ridiculous set up with our neighbors where we are the last in line to get our water. We NEVER get our allotted water because the neighbors ahead of us take whatever they need before us!”
A Clear Path Forward
Survey responses clearly show that local irrigators are eager to improve irrigation system efficiencies and reduce water waste. As climate change and drought continue to place pressure on water resources in Central Oregon, an integrated approach to solving water scarcity issues is needed; a concerted effort to pipe private laterals must be part of the solution.