Central Oregon Irrigation District To Begin Fire Fuels Reduction Project In Southwest Bend In June (Photo)
-05/16/25
Three-week project will reduce wildfire risk through selective thinning along the Deschutes River Canyon canal corridor.
REDMOND, OR – Beginning the first week June, Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID) will begin fire fuels reduction work on a 150-acre property in southwest Bend. The heavily vegetated site, located in the steep Deschutes River Canyon, is owned by COID and borders densely developed residential areas.
The project is being conducted to reduce wildfire risk and create defensible space for key COID infrastructure and the surrounding community, in compliance with City of Bend code requirements and in coordination with local fire and forestry experts. “These fuel breaks will reduce fuel, reduce fire risk, and improve forest health,” said Nate Goodwin, International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist with Timber Stand Improvement.
COID has owned and managed the property since the early 1900s. “This is about protecting our infrastructure and being a good neighbor,” said COID Managing Director Craig Horrell. “With the growth in Bend and increasing wildfire risks, this kind of mitigation work is essential.”
The property houses critical components of COID’s water delivery system, including the diversion point for the Central Oregon Canal, pipelines, a forebay structure, and the district’s siphon hydropower facility. COID also partners with Bend Park and Recreation District (BPRD) to manage the trail system that runs through the property for public use. The agencies are working together to post trail closure signage at appropriate locations as well as communicating to the public about the planned closures.
COID will establish two shaded fuel breaks, one near the top of the canyon and one along the canal access road and pipeline. Treatments will include selective tree thinning (10
foot spacing), limbing lower branches to a height of six to eight feet, and the removal of ladder fuels. COID collaborated with Bend Fire & Rescue, the Deschutes County Forester, and Timber Stand Improvement to develop the project plan.
“I have toured the property with COID staff and Nate Goodwin, Certified Arborist with Timber Stand Improvement,” said Bend Fire & Rescue Fire Inspector Melissa Steele. “The property is densely overgrown with immature trees, ladder fuels, and low-hanging branches. Given the surrounding development, it’s in our community’s best interest to mitigate fire risk. Bend Fire & Rescue fully supports this project.”
Work along the COID access road and pipeline will begin in early June and is expected to take approximately three weeks. During this time, the access road and other areas of the property will be closed to the public. COID and BPRD requests that community members respect these closures for safety.
For updates or questions, please contact COID at 541-548-6047.
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About Central Oregon Irrigation District
Established in 1918, Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID) provides reliable water delivery to approximately 3,500 patrons across Bend, Redmond, Powell Butte, and Alfalfa, irrigating over 46,000 acres of productive land. Operating and maintaining more than 400 miles of canals, COID has supported the region for over a century. Today, COID is a leader in water conservation, drought resilience, and environmental enhancement, restoring over 133 cubic feet per second of stream flows to the Deschutes Basin since 2000 through innovative conservation projects. www.coid.org
