Heavy equipment works on Lazy Z field

With heavy equipment raising a big dust on the fields of the Lazy Z at the east end of town, it appeared over the past two weeks that the City of Sisters was doing some work on the land that will be used for effluent dispersion from the city's wastewater treatment plant.

However, the work is on a 4,000-foot waterline that will serve two residential parcels that lie across the highway from the city land. The properties are owned by Richard and Barbara Morrow and Sharon Amestoy.

"We gave them an easement to lay pipe under our property," said City of Sisters Public Works Director Gary Frazee.

"It's a little over 4,000 feet of pipe at four feet of depth," he said.

The pipe runs from the Lazy Z irrigation diversion across the city property and under the highway in an existing culvert, Frazee reported.

The project has been in the works since last winter and has taken months to wend its way through the bureaucratic process. Once underway, the work itself went pretty quickly.

Much of the visible activity has been dirt screening.

"We wanted all the rocks picked up," Frazee said. "They've screened all the dirt and hauled the rocks away."

The city now has water on the fields, which will continue to be used for pasture even once the city starts dispersing effluent on the property. Portions that are not under dispersal can be used and areas of dispersal rotated, according to Frazee.

He noted that the city will start dispersing effluent on a forested portion of the property, which is expected to meet city needs for a couple of seasons.

The City of Sisters purchased 230.98 acres of the Lazy Z Ranch for wastewater effluent disposal late last year for just under $3.7 million. The purchase was funded by a little over $2 million in accumulated sewer systems development charges. The remainder was financed.

The use of the land will enable the city to operate its current wastewater facility at a basic level of treatment until approximately 2019, according to an analysis by the city's engineering firm.

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Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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