Interior Department sending $37.4 million to three C.O. irrigation districts for canal-piping projects

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Friday a $37.4 million investment through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for three projects to help improve drought resiliency through piping of Central Oregon irrigation canals.

The projects, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest ever investment in climate – are expected to conserve almost 5,000 acre-feet of water annually in the Ochoco, Central Oregon and Tumalo irrigation districts by enclosing open canals into pipelines, reducing water losses to evaporation and seepage, and creating more efficient water transportation.

The federal funding was announced the day after a three-judge federal appeals court dismissed a five-year legal challenge by Tumalo neighbors to the canal-piping plans, reaffirming irrigation districts' right to make such major changes within their property easements.

“Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we have historic new resources to invest in innovative water conservation solutions that make Western communities more resilient to drought and climate change,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Michael Brain. “With these investments, we are advancing essential water infrastructure projects that mitigate the worst impacts of climate change and safeguard communities across the country.”

"These historic investments through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will help build drought resiliency in Oregon,” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. "All three projects will utilize proven methods for improving efficiency in water delivery systems.”

Here's the rest of the Interior Department news release:

The Biden-Harris administration has led an all-of-government effort to make Western communities more resilient to climate change and address the ongoing megadrought across the region by harnessing the full resources of President Biden’s historic Investing in America agenda.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes $550 million for domestic water supply projects and $4 billion in funding specifically for water management and conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin and other areas experiencing similar levels of long-term drought. 

To date, Reclamation has announced more than $3.2 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act for 223 drought mitigation projects, 39 domestic water supply projects, seven emergency relief projects for Tribal communities and four canal improvement projects. 

The projects funded through this announcement are:  

• $8 million to the Ochoco Irrigation District project to convert more than 8 miles of open canal to buried pipe conserving water in the Crooked River. 
• $21 million to the Central Oregon Irrigation District’s project to convert more than 2 miles of open canal to large-diameter pipe to conserve water in the Deschutes River for irrigation and to support winter flows for the Oregon Spotted Frog, a threatened amphibian species in the Pacific Northwest.
• $8.4 million to the Tumalo Irrigation District to convert more than 10 miles of open canal to buried pipe and construct 82 turnouts. This will improve water conservation between the Tumalo Creek and Crescent Lake and help maintain water deliveries while improving habitat and water quality for redband trout and the Oregon Spotted Frog. Converting open canal to pipe conserves water by preventing water loss from evaporation and seepage.