North Powder, OR - (July 1, 2026) – Powder Valley Water Control District (PVWCD) plans to modernize aging irrigation infrastructure to reduce water loss, improve water delivery reliability, and address operation inefficiencies. The project is sponsored by PVWCD, with funding and technical support from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oregon.
The project proposes to replace 3.3 miles of open ditch with pipeline, replace several ditches with a single, more efficient 3.4-mile pipeline, retire 6.7 miles of ditches that are no longer needed, and install fish screening and passage improvements. Upgrading PVWCD’s irrigation system would save water, make water deliveries more reliable, support fish and rivers, and help local farms and ranches better withstand drought. NRCS reviewed the potential impacts of the project and released a Draft Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment (Draft Plan-EA) on July 1, 2026.
Members of the public are invited to learn about the proposed project, participate in a question-and-answer session, and provide feedback during a public meeting:
In-Person Public Meeting
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
North Powder Rural Fire Protection District
710 E St., North Powder, OR 97867
A recording of the public meeting will be available after the meeting on this webpage. The Draft Plan-EA can be viewed below in the Documents section, and a printed copy is available at the PVWCD Office (690 E St., North Powder, OR 97867).
Public comments on the Draft Plan-EA may be submitted from July 1, 2026 through August 4, 2026. Comments may be emailed to powdervalley.wcd.comments@gmail.com; submitted online via this form; left as a voice message at the Farmers Conservation Alliance office at (541) 716-6085; or mailed to: Farmers Conservation Alliance, Attn: PVWCD Plan, 102 State Street, Hood River, OR 97031.
After the public comment period, NRCS will evaluate the comments and incorporate relevant comments into a Final Plan-EA. If NRCS issues a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the project and authorizes the Final Plan-EA, PVWCD would be able 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 project sponsors for planning and carrying out watershed projects for the purpose of watershed protection, flood prevention, erosion and sediment control, water supply, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat enhancement.
Additional information is available online at the NRCS in Oregon Watershed Programs page.
Visit FCA for more information about irrigation modernization.