Tumalo Irrigation District boosts reward to find vandals who drilled holes in pipeline

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Two months after the Tumalo Irrigation District discovered several holes drilled in its new pipeline, the organization has more than doubled its reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of whoever damaged the line, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Tuesday.

The irrigation district board has increased the reward for information leading to an arrest to $5,000, and to $25,000 for information leading to a conviction, Sgt. Jayson Janes said. They were $2,500 and $10,000 rewards when originally announced in early April.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 541-693-6911, in reference to Case No. 21-15441.

The sheriff’s office received the report of criminal mischief on March 27 to the pipeline near Pinehurst Road. It’s believed the vandal(s) entered the open trench between Jan. 6-13 and drilled seven holes along a 330-foot section of the 36-inch polyethylene pipeline, part of a state- and federally funded canal-piping water conservation project.