U.S. Rep. Greg Walden’s (R-Ore.) Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act took an important step forward yesterday. The House Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved the bill (H.R. 2640), sending it to the full House for consideration. The bill would fix a boundary line error at Bowman Dam, paving the way for construction of a small scale hydropower facility at the base of the dam. It would also provide job-creating water for the City of
“The committee approving this common-sense bill is an important step forward towards finally getting this done for
The bill that passed the House Natural Resources Committee today is identical to the bill passed by the committee and the full House in the last session of Congress.
H.R. 2640:
Carbon free energy and hydropower jobs . A clerical error led to the boundary line of the Crooked River Wild and Scenic Area being drawn down the middle of Bowman Dam, a
Moving the boundary line only ¼ mile downstream will allow a small-scale, private hydropower facility at the base of Bowman Dam to be constructed.
Construction of such a facility would employ about 50 skilled workers over the course of two construction seasons and would also provide approximately $140,000 in annual property tax revenues to
The hydropower facility may also resolve a “total dissolved gas” problem at Bowman Dam. This problem, which occurs at dams around the world, can impair fish and wildlife habitat. The new facility could potentially alleviate this problem, improving habitat in the
Job-supporting water for Prineville. The legislation would allow the city of
Prineville relies solely on groundwater. The legislation would allow the City to secure up to 5,100 acre-feet of “mitigation credits” from the new releases of stored water at the dam into the
The new releases will increase existing minimum releases by a total of 7 cubic feet per second (cfs) over the entire year. In dry years, particularly in the winter, this higher release requirement could benefit fish and wildlife, including the blue-ribbon trout fishery below Bowman Dam.
The water allocation for Prineville will also help the city create jobs and improve business opportunities. The city is currently in talks with multiple technology companies that are interested in locating to Prineville, but have indicated that the availability of water is a key consideration in their final decision.
McKay Creek restoration and other conservation efforts. Rep. Walden’s legislation would help spur the McKay Creek restoration project — which has stalled in recent years — by allowing Ochoco Irrigation District to deliver water to upper small family farms on McKay Creek.
The restoration project would restore up to 11.2 cfs of water rights instream to McKay Creek. The project also improves flow during the early summer, a critical period for steelhead emergence and migration. This project is supported by numerous watershed councils and organizations including the Deschutes River Conservancy.
The legislation also allows the Ochoco Irrigation District to participate in the Conserved Water program under
