Central Oregon Irrigation District facts for kids
Pilot Butte Canal north of Bend, Oregon
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Oregon counties served by the district
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| Predecessor | Pilot Butte Development Company (1902); Deschutes Irrigation and Power Company (1904); and Central Oregon Irrigation Company (1910) |
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| Formation | 1918 |
| Founder | Alexander M. Drake (Pilot Butte Development Company founder) |
| Type | Municipal corporation |
| Purpose | Water distribution |
| Headquarters | Redmond, Oregon |
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Region
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Central Oregon |
| Methods | Canal system |
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Central Oregon Canal Historic District (Ward Road–Gosney Road Segment)
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Somerset Dr., Bear Creek , Gosney & Ward Rds., Bend Vicinity, Oregon |
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| NRHP reference No. | 100003461 |
| Added to NRHP | March 18, 2019 |
The Central Oregon Irrigation District is a special group that helps bring irrigation water to the dry lands of Central Oregon, U.S. It's like a public company that manages water.
This water helps farms and businesses in places like Alfalfa, Bend, Redmond, Terrebonne, and Powell Butte. The district also provides drinking water to the city of Redmond, nearby neighborhoods, and parks and schools in Bend.
The district manages over 700 kilometers (435 miles) of canals. These canals serve about 182 square kilometers (70.3 square miles) of land. The total area it covers is about 725 square kilometers (280 square miles).
Contents
History of Water in Central Oregon
Early Efforts to Bring Water
In 1894, a law called the Carey Act was passed. This law helped the U.S. government work with states to bring water to dry areas. The goal was to make these lands useful for farming.
The State of Oregon allowed companies to build and run canal systems. These companies could make money from providing water. Farmers could get water rights if they actually used the water to grow crops. By 1950, the chance to claim new water rights ended. It took until 1958 to make sure everyone's water rights from the Deschutes River were official.
How the District Was Formed
The Central Oregon Irrigation District was created in 1918. It was formed by combining several water systems near Bend.
One of the first companies was the Pilot Butte Development Company. It was started in 1902 by Alexander M. Drake. He was a businessman who came to the area in 1900. He wanted to bring water to the dry lands and thought the clean air would be good for his health. Drake's company helped plan the city of Bend. It also built a lodge, which is why Drake Park and the Drake Park Neighborhood Historic District are named after him.
Before any water flowed, the Pilot Butte company was sold. It became the Deschutes Irrigation and Power Company. Water delivery started in 1904, watering about 40 acres (16 hectares) of land.
Building the Main Canals
Two main canals, the Central Oregon Canal and the Pilot Butte Canal, were finished by 1907.
The Pilot Butte Development Company later faced financial trouble. This led to the creation of the Central Oregon Irrigation Company in 1910. In 1912, the North Canal Dam was connected to the Pilot Butte Canal.
Eventually, the people who used the water took over the company. They created the Central Oregon Irrigation District on December 17, 1917. There were some legal challenges, but everything was settled by July 9, 1921.
The district actively encouraged people to move to the area. They advertised "Free land in Oregon, in the richest grain, fruit and stock section in the world!" Almost 2,000 people moved to Bend. By 1924, the system was watering 28,500 acres (11,534 hectares) of land.
A part of the canal system, called the Ward Road–Gosney Road segment, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 18, 2019. This means it's an important historical site.
Engineering the Canals
Building canals in Central Oregon was a big challenge. The land has a thick layer of basalt. This is a very hard, volcanic rock. The soil on top is thin and doesn't have much organic material. This is typical for the dry Great Basin desert.
Engineers had to choose the canal routes very carefully. They wanted to use gravity to move the water instead of pumps. This saved a lot of money and effort. They also tried to dig as little as possible through the hard rock.
The Water System Today
The Central Oregon Irrigation District's system covers three counties. A little more than half of it is in Deschutes County. A bit less than half is in Crook County. About 5% is in Jefferson County.
All the water for the system comes from the Deschutes River.
- The Central Oregon Canal starts near the southwest part of Bend. It generally flows east for about 20 miles (32 kilometers) before turning north.
- The Pilot Butte Canal starts at the north end of downtown Bend. It mostly flows north, following U.S. Highway 97 closely. A 150-foot (46-meter) high flume carries the Pilot Butte Canal over the Crooked River. A flume is like a bridge that carries water across a valley or another river.
