Some say Central Oregon Irrigation District board elections could be a game-changer
A changing of the guard could be coming to Central Oregon Irrigation District as four out of five seats on its board of directors are up for election next month.
The open seats will represent Terrebonne, Redmond, Bend and Powell Butte. Only Central Oregon Irrigation district patrons are eligible to vote in the Nov. 14 election, which is separate from state and local elections held one week earlier. Central Oregon Irrigation District, a senior water rights holder in the Deschutes River basin, is the largest irrigation district in the region by number of patrons. The district provides water for around 3,500 patrons who irrigate 46,000 acres, mostly in areas between Bend and Terrebonne. Changes and improvements to the way water is delivered to patrons can impact how much water remains available for other districts and the Deschutes River.
The election could usher in board members who will more aggressively seek changes in the way water is delivered, said Caleb Thompson, owner of Sungrounded Farm, a vegetable farmer near Terrebonne.
“I am cautiously optimistic that we may have a candidate or two who may want to move in a more progressive direction for the district,” said Thompson. “There is money out there, both state and federal money for infrastructure improvements, and I feel like we need to be aggressively pushing for that.
https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/some-say-central-oregon-irrigation-district-board-elections-could-be-a-game-changer/article_dacd8dcc-6476-11ee-aca0-eff60cc292e6.html
