The Smith Rock-King Way Plan–EA focused on piping and pressurizing a high-loss portion of COID’s Pilot Butte Canal system in the northern part of the District. The project’s benefits include improving water conservation, delivery reliability, and public safety while enabling instream flows in the Upper Deschutes River during winter and agriculture in North Unit Irrigation District in the summer. COID completed construction of their project in 2022 and have used this experience to now pursue additional NRCS funds for the remainder of the Pilot Butte Canal.
Completed
Central Oregon Irrigation District
FCA completed a Watershed Plan-EA for COID in 2020 that enabled the District to access over $25 million in PL-566 funds. The funds enabled the modernization of the Pilot Butte Canal, one of the main arteries of the District.
Where infrastructure meets impact for safer delivery, smarter water, stronger rivers.
Project DETAILS
Location
Deschutes Basin, Oregon
Installation Date
2020-2022
Engineering Partners
Black Rock
Community and/or Agency Partners
Deschutes River Conservancy, Deschutes Basin Board of Control, NRCS, BOR
7.9 miles
section of the Pilot Butte Canal in the Smith Rock area completed in 2022.
30cfs
or approximately 9,400 acre-feet of water saved annually–with conserved water passed to NUID during irrigation season and matched by winter instream releases below Wickiup Reservoir.
300 farmers
benefiting from improved operational efficiencies throughout the District.
Projects
Smith Rock–King Way Modernization Approved
In July 2020, the Final Watershed Plan–EA and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) were approved, clearing the path for funding and construction. This milestone marked the transition from planning to on-the-ground implementation. The Smith Rock-King Way Plan-EA provided the first phase of funding to pipe the Pilot Butte Canal as well as two laterals. In addition to piping, this project created a new point of delivery to provide water to North Unit Irrigation District.
7.9 Miles of Pilot Butte Canal Piped
A key portion of the Pilot Butte Canal in the Smith Rock area has been successfully converted from open canal to buried pipeline. Completed in 2022, this 7.9-mile modernization improves water efficiency, enhances safety, and delivers more reliable water to local farms.
Smith Rock–King Way Segments Completed
Multiple construction packages within the Smith Rock–King Way corridor have been completed, including key segments identified as Phase 1A and 1B. These coordinated efforts reflect steady progress in modernizing critical infrastructure across the district.