Skip to main content

McHaley Pipeline and Irrigation Improvements Project

The McHaley Ditch Pipe and Irrigation Improvements Project provided cost-share funding to design, bid, and construct the McHaley pipe design and riser system for irrigation. This project will combine two diversions (Upper and Lower McHaley) into a single fish friendly diversion located at the Upper McHaley Point of Diversion.  The water righted amount for both diversions will be piped from the Upper McHaley down to the Lower McHaley in the new pipeline.  A tee was installed with a regulated outlet box on both the Upper and Lower McHaley ditches will be installed in order to regulate the proper amount of water that will be delivered to each respective ditch.  There will be pressurized risers installed on the pipeline for the Upper McHaley ditch which will be pressurized by the elevation difference between the inlet box and the risers.  The pressurized risers will improve irrigation efficiency and the pipeline will allow spring water to be returned to the John Day River where habitat will be improved.

May contain: land, nature, outdoors, water, and ground
View of the McHaley Ditch Pipeline Spring Reconnection.  The pipeline is shown in the center of the photo and soil is retained on both sides of the spring reconnection, providing a reconnection of spring water to the John Day River.  This water was previously captured in the open ditch. The water dumps in to a natural backwater alcove in the river providing excellent juvenile rearing habitat year round.
May contain: soil, person, and human
Photo showing the pipeline inlet box and the measurement device that were installed behind the existing fish screen.  The measurement device has been sized to be able to measure the total amount of flow that is required to feed the water right for both the Upper and Lower McHaley Ditch.  The inlet box is designed with a built in sump that will allow the measurement flume to function while water is backed up in the pipe to produce pressure to the down stream irrigation risers.
May contain: soil and archaeology
Photo of the installation of the concrete Ultrasonic Measurement Device box.  The Ultrasonic measurement device is required in order to measure the flow in the Upper McHaley ditch without needing to outlet the water and lose the gravity pressure that was created with the elevation differences between the irrigation risers and the inlet box.
May contain: nature, outdoors, person, human, ground, land, snow, and ice
Photo of the ditch fill and the reconstruction and improvement of the diversion access road.  Maintenance of this road is needed in order to access the diversion site for maintenance and operation.