Developed by hardy Swiss pioneers starting as early as 1891, Swalley was originally organized as the Deschutes Reclamation and Irrigation Company (DRIC) in 1899. Much of the city of Bend (before it was a city) was originally a part of the boundaries of the DRIC, settled under the federal "Carey Act" and the Right-of-Way Act of 1891. DRIC obtained its water rights for natural flow diversion from…

As of 2026, Swalley's conveyance system was ~64% piped and 36% open canal.

Irrigation Contractors