By Natural Resource Report,
More stimulus money in the form of Challenge Grants, administered by the Bureau of Reclamation is flowing Oregon’s way after two irrigation projects were recently approved for funding.
In a press release announcing the grants the Department of the Interior said, “Through the Challenge Grant Program’s Water Marketing and Efficiency Grants, Reclamation provides 50/50 cost share funding to states and irrigation and water districts for projects focused on water marketing, conservation and efficiency. Projects are selected through a competitive process, based on their ability to meet the goal of improving sustainable water supplies in the western United States.” The Challenge Grant program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
In the Swalley Irragation District:
Main Canal Piping Project and Ponderosa Hydroplant, Swalley Irrigation District: $2,058,935 for this three stage/phase project that would complete piping of ¾ miles of canal, the design and construction of a 0.75 megawatt hydropower plant, and a solar telemetry project that would allow the District to use solar power for a system that monitors, measures and controls water.
In the Three Sisters Irrigation District:
Main Canal Pipeline Phase I, Three Sisters Irrigation District: $1,300,000 to convert 16,500 feet of open canal to buried pipe; replace manual wooden headgates with automated headgates, install remotely-operated monitoring and control system; replace a wooden flume and gauging station with measuring devices that will connect to the new monitoring and control system; and work with the Deschutes River Conservancy to market approximately 833 acre-feet of water per year to protect flows for fish and water quality in Whychus Creek.
Disclaimer: Articles featured on Oregon Report are the creation, responsibility and opinion of the authoring individual or organization which is featured at the top of every article.