Piping our old, leaky canals is an ongoing effort here at Swalley. Every year we try to round up the funding and partnerships to put as much pipe as we can in the ground. Piping projects allow water to be conserved and utilyzed more efficiently.

Current Projects

Winter 2022 through Spring 2024: During this time period the District will be engaged in several major transportation and commercial development construction activities. The projects require modifications to major elements within the District's conveyance system and the piping of several canal segments. The District is also working on design-engineering the next two phases of it's System Improvement Plan which aims to convert an additional several miles of open canals into buried pipelines. Please contact Swalley's general manager if you have any questions about any specific projects under development.

Upcoming Projects

-Main Canal Piping Project Phase# 7 (MC-7) (The Main Canal Piping Project consists of 10 phases total. The District is currently complete through Phase# 6) : The MC-7 is an ~1.3 mile canal-to-large (48"-42" diameter) pipeline conversion project that begins approximately 3 miles north of the City of Bend, runs adjacent to Hwy 97, and ends near Sunbeam Lane in Deschutes County. The project is federally approved, permitted, and funded. Tentative construction dates are targeted for November 2023 - April 2024.

Pending Projects

-Elder Lateral Piping Project: This is an ~2 mile long canal-to-pipeline conversion project in the heart of Swalley. The project is federally approved and permitted, but full funding for the project is still being sought.  Engineering design on this project is at ~98+% and on hold. This project was originally slated for 2021-2022 construction, but funding limitations put a halt to the project going to bid. If funding issues are resolved, it is possible that the project could be back in line for construction after the MC-7 Project has been constructed in 2024.

-Main Lateral Piping Project Phase# 8 : This is an ~1.3 mile canal-to-large pipeline conversion project. The project is federally approved and permitted, but full funding is pending. Design engineering has not occured.

-Butte Lateral Piping Project: This canal-to-pipeline conversion project is also in the heart of Swalley and generally runs west to east for ~1 mile adjacent to Tumalo Rd. The project is federally approved and permitted, but only partially funded at this time. State grant match dollars are actively being sought after being awarded and then lost due to state bond sale failures as a result of the coronavirus-based budget shortfalls at the state level. Design engineering has not occured.

-Main Lateral Piping Project Phase# 9: This is an ~2 mile canal-to-large pipeline conversion project. The project is federally approved, but funding is pending. Design engineering has not occured.

-Main Lateral Piping Project Phase# 10 (FINAL PHASE) : This is an ~2 mile canal-to-large pipeline conversion project. The project may also include the installation of a 400HP booster pump. The project is federally approved, but funding is pending. Design engineering has not occured.

Recently Completed Projects

-Rogers & Rogers Sub-Lateral Pipeline Project; 2019-2020. This major canal to pipeline conversion project started near Cooley Rd and generally ran north for ~3 miles adjacent to the Old Bend-Redmond Highway. The project included the Rogers Sub-Lateral which ran northeasterly ~1/4 mile from Cooley Rd to the Hunnel Rd vicinity. The project began October, 2019 and was substantially completed by March, 2020. The new pipeline went fully operational April 1, 2020, and came in on budget and on schedule for the 2020 Irrigation Season. The project included upgrading 43 on-farm turnout deliveries to state-of-the-art valved and metered deliveries. Conserved water benefitted the middle Deschutes River.

-Riley-Sub Lateral Pipeline Project; OB Riley Rd. Phase; Winter 2018-2019. This project converted 1/3 of a mile of roadside canal to a 24" to 18" HDPE pipeline. The project was in cooperation with the Bend-LaPine School District and was primarily a public safety project. The project exemplifies contemporary irrigation piping methods and technology through an urbanized environment. The new irrigation line utilizes state of the art water metering equipment. School ballfields and landscaping will use our irrigation water as a greener and cheaper alternative than potable city water.

-Riley Lateral Pipeline Project.; Hardy Rd Development Phase; Winter 2017-2018

The Riley Lateral Pipeline along OB Riley and Hardy roads just behind the North Bend Fire Station was a joint 2016-2017 project between Swalley and a private developer. The canal was converted into a pipeline so that new road, water, and sewer infrastructure could be installed to 16 new homes. The project was paid for using all private funding, including a 1/3 financial contribution (including labor and equipment) from Swalley.

Finished landscaping over the pipeline was designed by a local landscape architect and is a local precedent for how nice-looking properly designed urban pipeline landscape coverings can be. The project is available for touring upon request.