This article was published on: 08/27/19 12:00 AM
Ochoco Irrigation District is planning a number of projects to upgrade its aging infrastructure, including the conversion of open canals into an underground, closed-pipe system, and the installation of new pump stations.
The proposed Ochoco Irrigation District Modernization Project will reduce tailwater and seepage losses, lower energy use and improve fish and wildlife habitat in the Ochoco and McKay creeks and the Crooked River, according to an Aug. 27 press release issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The irrigation district, which stores water in the Ochoco and Prineville reservoirs, supplies water to 20,062 acres of irrigated land in the Prineville area.
Members of the public can learn about the project, and offer their input, at a scoping meeting Sept. 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting is planned to be held at the Carey Foster Hall at 1280 S. Main St. in Prineville. Public comments can be submitted until Oct. 18, 2019; they can be filed at www.oregonwatershedplans.org.