$37.4 Million Allocated for Three Drought Resistance Projects in Oregon

The Department of the Interior has announced a $37.4 million investment in three projects to improve drought resistance in Oregon.

The projects will conserve about 5,000 acre-feet of water annually in the Ochoco, Central Oregon, and Tumalo irrigation districts.

Open canals will be enclosed in pipelines, reducing losses by evaporation and seepage and creating a more efficient water transportation system.

The projects, financed by the Inflation Reduction Act, are the largest-ever investment in climate by the Biden Administration’s ‘Investing in America’ agenda.

How the Money Will be Allocated

• The Central Oregon Irrigation District will receive $21 million to replace over two miles of open canal with large-diameter piping. This initiative aims to conserve irrigation water in the Deschutes River, while improving winter water flows, benefitting the threatened Oregon Spotted Frog, an amphibian species in the Pacific Northwest.
• The Tumalo Irrigation District will receive $8.4 million to replace more than 10 miles of open canal with buried piping and to install 82 turnouts. This will improve water conservation between Tumalo Creek and Crescent Lake and help maintain water deliveries while improving habitat and water quality for Redband trout and the Oregon Spotted Frog.
• The Ochoco Irrigation District will receive $8 million to replace over 8 miles of open canal with buried piping, designed to conserve water in the Crooked River.

The Investments Will Mitigate the Impacts of Climate Change

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Michael Brain said the investments would advance essential infrastructure and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change while safeguarding communities across the country.

Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton described the investments as ‘historic.’

She said the investments will improve Oregon’s resiliency to drought, and that all three projects would improve water delivery efficiency.

Other Major Water Supply Projects

The Inflation Reduction Act allocates $550 million for domestic water supply initiatives and $4 billion for water management and conservation projects in the Colorado River Basin and other regions facing prolonged drought conditions.

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