Central Oregon Irrigation District is asking for another round of taxpayer funding to pipe a small section of their 400+ miles of canals.  This time the request is for $42M to pipe 7.9 miles of canal.  Yesterday Central Oregon Land Watch posted their analysis of this proposal.  Per COLW, $42M equates to “$568,000 per irrigator”.  I wish I got this sort of taxpayer subsidy.  The Basin Study Work Group clearly showed ways to save the same amount of water for 25% of the cost of main canal piping.  WaterWatch has pointed out that there are no guarantees in this latest piping proposal that any conserved water be permanently returned to the upper Deschutes.  And, as always, there is no mention of increasing flows in the middle Deschutes during irrigation season.  The song remains the same…