Project name: Ochoco Irrigation District, Gorup 1 Pump Station Project

Location: Prineville

Completion: May 2024

Size: 23,000 square feet

Cost: $13.56 million

Owner: Ochoco Irrigation District

Owner’s Representatives: Black Rock Consulting, Clearwater Engineering Group

Engineers: Clearwater Engineering, Black Rock Consulting

General Contractor: Taylor Northwest

Submitting Company: Taylor Northwest

Other Key Participants: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, PPL Electric

Subcontractors: Abbas Well Drilling and Pump Service, C2R Fabrication, Cascade Civil, Ferguson Waterworks, Reynolds Technical Services, Tomco Electric, Vernam Crane Services

The Ochoco Irrigation District (OID) has completed a major milestone in its Infrastructure Modernization Program with the delivery of a state-of-the-art pump station that will serve nearly 1,000 farmers and industrial patrons across 20,000 acres in Crook County.

The Group 1 Pump Station Project, completed just in time for the 2024 irrigation season, represents the first phase of OID’s broader modernization efforts funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in coordination with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

The project deadline was non-negotiable – farmers in the Crooked River Valley depended on it. Taylor Northwest (TNW) led construction, replacing an outdated system with 11 vertical turbine pumps, and installing 500 linear feet of 78-inch profile wall HDPE supply pipe, a 96-inch HDPE header pipe, and steel discharge header ranging from 54 to 79 inches – all anchored by 460 cubic yards of concrete.

The project faced significant challenges from the outset when initial bids came in at nearly twice the available budget. Originally planned as two pump stations, the scope was reduced to a single station with TNW working closely with OID to develop value-engineering solutions.

Additional complications arose when delays in finalizing an agreement with PPL Electric threatened critical equipment procurement. Through extensive collaboration, the team devised a retrofit solution to integrate existing equipment with the new pump station to maintain schedule.

The construction required extensive excavation at depths up to 23 feet below groundwater level, employing sheet piling for shoring – a method rarely used in Central Oregon due to prevalent rock formations. The dewatering operation ultimately pumped and returned more than 2.5 million gallons of water to Ochoco Creek and the Crooked River.

The completed pump station features cutting-edge remote monitoring technology, allowing OID to make operational adjustments with a simple tap on a screen. This advancement optimizes flow monitoring and efficiency while reducing operational costs.

As part of Central Oregon’s broader irrigation modernization efforts, the project represents a significant step toward a more sustainable water future, reducing evaporation losses while supporting agricultural communities and ecosystems throughout the region.

The pump station was delivered on April 19, 2024, meeting the substantial completion deadline.

“The partnership established between OID and TNW has solidified a winning team that we look forward to working together on future phases of our Infrastructure Modernization Project,” Bruce Scanlon, OID manager, said in the project submission form.

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