Owyhee Irrigation District to Modernize Irrigation InfrastructurePublic Scoping Meeting September 10, 2025

Malheur County, OR - (August 26, 2025) – Owyhee Irrigation District (the District) is pursuing funding to decrease agricultural damages to District patrons by improving agricultural water management. The project proposes to upgrade District headgates, pipe and/or line canals, and install supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) to improve the reliability and efficiency of irrigation water delivery. The project is sponsored by Owyhee Irrigation District, with funding and technical support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oregon. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is a cooperating agency.

Members of the public are invited to provide input to help guide planning efforts during an in-person scoping meeting on September 10 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m (MT) at the Four Rivers Cultural Center 676 SW 5th Ave, Ontario, OR 97914. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about the proposed infrastructure improvements and submit their comments, ideas, and concerns. The presentation slides will be available at https://watershedplans.org/owyhee-id after the meeting.

Public comments may be submitted from August 26, 2025, through September 25, 2025. Comments may be emailed to owyheeid.comments@fcasolutions.org, submitted online at https://watershedplans.org/owyhee-id, submitted via phone at (541) 716-6085, or mailed to: Farmers Conservation Alliance, 102 State Street, Hood River, OR 97031.

Following the public scoping period, project partners will develop a Draft Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA). The public will have an opportunity to review the Draft Plan-EA and provide additional input.

Once complete, the Plan-EA will enable the District to apply for funding to construct infrastructure improvements through the NRCS Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program, authorized by Public Law 83-566. Through this program, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to local organizations (project sponsors) for planning and carrying out watershed projects that help solve natural resources and related economic problems in a specific watershed. These issues can include watershed protection, flood prevention, erosion and sediment control, water supply, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement, and wetlands creation.

Additional information is available online at https://watershedplans.org/owyhee-id or the NRCS Oregon public notice webpage: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/oregon/oregon-public-notices.

Encontrará más información en línea en https://watershedplans.org/owyhee-id o en la página web de avisos públicos del NRCS de Oregon en https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/oregon/oregon-public-notices

Contact:

Public Affairs Officer

Lauren.bennett2@usda.gov

503-414-3220