Bend Bulletin: Reservoirs show strong recovery, while districts plan efficiency projects during the shutdown
By Michael Kohn
Irrigation districts in Central Oregon are preparing for their annual winter water shut-offs.
This annual pause in water deliveries dries up canals across the region, and significantly lowers the Deschutes River below its historic winter flow. But shutting down canals for winter also gives Wickiup Reservoir and other reservoirs time to refill before next year’s agricultural season.
Flows out of the Deschutes have steadily declined since their August highs and the ramp down is expected to accelerate next week. The lowest flows (around 105 cubic feet per second) are expected by October 17.
As of Tuesday, Wickiup Reservoir was 35% full, with 69,106 acre-feet of water, a 54% increase compared to the same period a year ago. Both Prineville and Ochoco reservoirs are 58% full. Crescent Lake is 20% full, with 17,390 acre-feet of water, an 84% increase compared to a year ago.
Deschutes Basin Watermaster Jeremy Giffin said improved natural flow in rivers and streams allowed irrigation districts to be less reliant on stored water this year. Natural flow is the water that would be naturally flowing down the river if it were not impacted by dams and canals.
“Overall we are very pleased with the natural flow of the Deschutes River this year and the increased storage numbers we are experiencing going into the winter storage season,” said Giffin.
While increased snowpack over the past two winters has improved water availability, there is also a reduction in demand for water from commercial farmers due to low commodity prices.
District plans
This winter, once the water shut-off is complete and the canals are cleared, North Unit Irrigation District plans to line a section of its main canal near Culver, said Bailey. The district, which operates mainly in Jefferson County and irrigates the region’s most productive farmland, also plans to undertake a pipeline repair project at its north end of operations.
Central Oregon Irrigation District also plans to conduct water-efficiency projects on some of the lateral ditches in its system. This includes cleaning and piping of laterals to reduce water loss and improve delivery efficiency.
Central Oregon Irrigation District, the largest in the region in terms of patron numbers, has reduced deliveries to patrons to 75%. Next week, deliveries will fall again to 50%.
The district plans to turn off its Central Oregon Canal (serving east Bend, Alfalfa and Powell Butte areas) on October 15. The Pilot Butte Canal (serving north Bend, Redmond and Terrebonne areas) will be turned off on October 16. The district advises that these dates could shift based on weather conditions and demand.
Late season water delivery
With more water stored this year in area reservoirs, irrigation districts are keeping the taps on to patrons longer into the season. In recent years, Arnold Irrigation District has turned off water deliveries in August. This year, the district says it will keep the water flowing until mid-October.
Lone Pine Irrigation District will continue to deliver water to its patrons until October 15. Tumalo Irrigation District is shutting down on Friday, the latest shutdown since 2020.
“It has been a better water year, we got more water in Crescent Lake than we had in previous years, we didn’t have to rotate patrons this year at all,” said Chris Schull, general manager for the district.
A major impact of the flow reductions at Wickiup Reservoir is the drying up of the side channel at Lava Island Falls in the Deschutes River. Thousands of fish become stranded in the channel, requiring a rescue effort by volunteers who ferry the fish in buckets to the main channel. That event, organized by the Deschutes River Conservancy, typically occurs in the second or third week of October.
Read more at: https://bendbulletin.com/2025/09/24/irrigation-districts-prep-for-annual-ramp-down-canal-closures/
