Highline Pipeline Project

The goals of the Highlight Pipeline Project were to improve instream flows and water quality on the East Fork Hood River, increase operational efficiency for East Fork Irrigation District (EFID), and improve irrigation water reliability for EFID patrons. This was accomplished by piping the 12,000-foot Highline Lateral diversion ditch.

Increasing streamflows in the summer significantly benefits ESA-listed threatened populations of winter steelhead, spring Chinook, and coho salmon. Low summertime streamflow on the East Fork has been identified as a primary limiting factor to the recovery of these species. Irrigation diversions for agriculture, on average, withdraw one-third of the flow in the Hood River during the summer. EFID has a water right of 120 cubic feet per second (cfs), which it diverts from a single point on the East Fork Hood River. During peak irrigation season, EFID can divert up to 85% of natural streamflow. In part, this is due to the extensive remaining network of open canals and end spills, which lose 20 to 25 cfs that could otherwise be left instream at the point of diversion.

EFID’s open canals also negatively impact irrigation water reliability and operational efficiency. During drought years, EFID struggles to balance irrigation demand with streamflow needs for fish. In addition, maintaining ditches requires an extensive amount of staff time to clean out debris and repair damage from the winter and control algal growth in the summer.

In April 2018, the new Highline Pipeline began serving irrigation water to patrons on 320 acres along the west side of Middle Mountain between Gilhouley Road and Iowa Drive. Historically, the 2.2-mile open canal lost approximately 0.7 cfs of irrigation water (315 gallons/minute) due to seepage and two end spills. Now that the system is piped and pressurized, water is available “on-demand” as irrigation water is turned off and on at each turn-out. The pipeline has increased reliability and water quality for irrigators, and protected 0.5 cfs to improve stream flow for fish.

The Watershed Group secured the Oregon Water Resources Department grant that provided $566,230 for the project. This was matched by funding from the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs and in-kind labor from EFID.

These photos show the process of laying the new pipeline in the footprint of the canal and the completed, buried pipeline.