Arnold Irrigation District ends season early after 2 breaches open up on banks of main canal

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Arnold Irrigation District's irrigation season ended about a week earlier than planned Friday due to two seephole breaches that opened up overnight on the bank of the main canal, officials said.

In an alert to patrons, the district said the breaches were in areas previously repaired with shotcrete, “so there is no viable repair options with the water running.”

“Once seeps on canal banks start, they only get bigger and greatly increase the possibility of a full breach and the subsequent safety risk and flooding,” the notice said.

The scheduled fall shut-off was set for Friday, Oct. 14, so “this situation will now effectively end the irrigation season for this year,” the district said.

Arnold Irrigation was shutting down its river diversion by midday “and you will see flows gradually diminish into this evening,” the district notice concluded.