Piping and pumps get consistent water to ranchers

For the past few years Marc Thalacker, general manager of the Three Sisters Irrigation District (TSID), has been facing a challenge.

Thirty irrigating farmers along Hurtley Ranch Road in Sisters have not been receiving irrigation water for their crops on a consistent basis. There were times when 19 couldn't get any water at all. And they weren't happy about it.

"We were getting about six complaints a day from landowners during the irrigation season," said Thalacker. The complaints mainly involved inconsistent water flow from the existing irrigation pumping and piping system, which had been installed many years ago by a private landowner in the area.

The flow problem was the result of incorrect sizing on two of the pumps combined with pipe sizing and locations that were inconsistent throughout the system. Four landowners, located south of the pumping plant, were on a 30hp pump; 26, north of the pump station, were on a separate 30hp pump. And pushing water north meant an uphill climb for the water before reaching the 26 properties.

"We even tried putting the landowners on a rotation system, but it wasn't working. Rotation only works if people will honor the system," said Thalacker.

So Thalacker had Greg Smith, owner of Thompson Pump and Irrigation Inc., come out and analyze the total system. Smith quickly determined that the problem was one of system design and equipment.

"The basic pumps were incorrectly sized, the pipe size to the landowners was inconsistent, and there was a clear need for variable frequency drives, which would even out the energy usage required to deliver water consistently to all landowners," said Smith.

Thalacker reached out to a variety of partners for both technical and funding assistance.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service supplied system design services through their Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) program. Thompson Pump supplied two new pumps, a 20hp for the southern properties, and a 40hp for the northern ones.

Thompson Pump also installed two variable frequency drives, which monitor and adjust the energy usage of the two new pumps. A variable frequency drive acts like a "transmission" for an electric motor. It automatically adjusts a motor's speed up or down. Motors often run at full speed when only partial speed is needed. With the varied flow and pressure requirements of the Hurtley Ranch farmers, the new variable frequency drives will reduce electric usage; improve motor life, and overall system life.

Additionally, using sophisticated computer analysis, Thompson Pump provided the energy savings analysis required by the Central Electric Co-op's (CEC) "Save Water - Save Energy" program, allowing CEC to provide the TSID with a substantial incentive rebate for the variable frequency drive purchases.

The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) provided funding for the variable frequency drive purchases using State Energy Program Recovery Act (stimulus) funds. The Wy'East Resource Conservation & Development Council, working with ODOE and CEC, provided energy savings calculations and project documentation.

New system piping costs were substantial, accounting for 79 percent of the total $176,097 project. The Deschutes River Conservancy, with assistance from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, the National Forest Foundation, the Oregon Governor's Fund, and the Pelton Fund, contributed 84 percent of the total grant monies received.

With the new system up and running, landowners are now receiving irrigation water when and where they need it.

John Gloeckner, a landowner on the south end of the new pumping station, is much happier this irrigating season.

"It's been a long time coming. We're getting all the water we need so far. I raise cattle and bucking bulls, and if I can't get water consistently throughout the (irrigating) season it costs me money because I have to buy hay to feed. This project has really been a blessing," said Gloeckner.

For information on CEC's agricultural energy efficiency rebate program visit http://www.cec.coop.

For more information contact the Wy'East Resource Conservation & Development Council at 541-923-4358 ext. 119 or by email: [email protected]