Conservancy works to restore Squaw Creek

Most irrigation canals in Central Oregon run through highly porous volcanic soils that soak up water like a sponge.

In some cases, over half the water flow in an unlined irrigation canal may be lost by the time the water reaches its intended destination.

To prevent that, a major project is underway to pipe the Cloverdale Ditch.

The Deschutes Basin Resources Conservancy brought together local, state, federal, tribal and private representatives in Sisters last Thursday, October 19, to review this and other area projects designed to restore the health of Squaw Creek.

The pipeline enclosure of the first three miles of the Cloverdale Ditch is the largest of these projects.

When an irrigation canal is piped, 100 percent of irrigation water channeled through a pipeline reaches its destination.

In a region where water is scarce, every drop counts; and when a stream is struggling to survive, those drops count even more.

According to the DRC, Squaw Creek was once the primary habitat for steelhead in the Deschutes basin. Today, there are no steelhead in Squaw Creek, and that's something that the DRC hopes to change.

While the Round Butte Dam provides a mighty big hurdle for steelhead returning from the Pacific Ocean, their return to Squaw Creek is a moot point if there is insufficient water in the stream bed for fish to survive.

Therein lies the problem.

Studies show that a minimum water flow of about 40 cubic feet per second (cfs) is necessary for a healthy population of fish.

In recent years, the summer flow through Sisters has been close to zero.

Over the last two years, however, the Oregon Water Trust has purchased about 2 cfs of water rights for return to the creek.

The Cloverdale piping project will return even more than that, with an estimated water savings of 4 to 8 cfs.

If all goes as planned, 3 cfs will be returned to the creek, 3 cfs will go to the Squaw Creek Irrigation District (SCID), and any amount above that will be split between the two.

Some 15,840 feet of 24-inch high density polyurethane (HDP) pipe is slated to be placed directly into the existing Cloverdale Ditch.

When the piping is complete, the ditch will simply be filled in, with the pipeline in place.

According to Mark Theetge of U.S. Filter, product specialist for the project, HDP is an extremely durable and pliable pipe.

Sixty foot sections of the pipe are chemically welded together on site. Some of the individual segments may be several hundred feet in length.

Then, like enormous snakes, the long black pieces are dragged across the landscape to their final destinations.

The $660,000 project is jointly funded by the DRC ($100,000), the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board ($160,000) and SCID ($400,000).

SCID office manager Joyce Burdick is anxious to show off the project, and interested parties may contact her at 549-8815.

"I would love to see it (the irrigation water) all in pipe," said Burdick.

She explained that, not only does the pipe save water, but the cost of delivery ends up being much less, as well.

Grants from organizations like the DRC help make these projects possible, but Burdick says that credit is shared by "a lot of people helping out on this."

The second local project is smaller in scale, but what it lacks in size is made up for in creativity.

With water rights that date to 1885, water was delivered to the Squaw Creek Ranch on Camp Polk Road through the mile-long Thompson Ditch, even though Squaw Creek, itself, passes right through the property.

By shifting away from flood irrigation, ranch sprinklers now draw water directly from the creek.

As a result, the Thompson Ditch has been closed, and another 3 cfs stays in the creek for three more miles -- the most critical stretch through Sisters.

Further, the amount of water eventually withdrawn from the creek is far less than that originally sent down the old ditch.

In another collaborative effort, the DRC was a key player in the recent Camp Polk Meadow acquisition by the Deschutes Basin Land Trust and also purchased the 1 cfs Camp Polk Meadow water right..

Officials agree that this type of cooperation is the wave of the future for resource conservation.

Barbara Lee, of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, concisely stated the focus of today's conservation efforts.

"We actively foster stewardship of the upper Deschutes River through cooperative, voluntary endeavors with watershed landowners, residents and other interested parties.

"I want to emphasize the voluntary aspect of this," she said.

"The regulatory hit- them -over-the-head-with-a-stick approach just hasn't worked."

The new approach obviously is working and has already had a positive effect on watershed health in the area.

As individuals and organizations continue to work together, things are looking up for Squaw Creek -- and maybe for the steelhead, too.