The Difference Modernization Makes
In 2021, at the base of the Three Sisters mountains, the people of Deschutes County began to see drought conditions reminiscent of the region's worst drought year ever in 1977.
Three Sisters Irrigation District completed major irrigation modernization in the years since then, including piping 60 of the district’s 65 miles of canal. This modernization allowed irrigators to deliver and extend what little water they did have in 2021 to get farmers through the growing season without severe agricultural loss. “Irrigation Modernization is one of the greatest agricultural, environmental, and local energy developement opportunities in the Western United States.” –Marc Thalacker, Three Sisters Irrigation District