A decades-long infrastructure project serving farms and ranches in South Bannock County reached completion this spring, replacing a network of irrigation ditches with a modern pipeline system that delivers water from Hawkins Reservoir to agricultural land across the region.
The Marsh Center Irrigation District finished construction of a 10-mile pipeline that eliminates century-old earthen channels in favor of pressurized water delivery. The upgrade serves 12 shareholder operations irrigating 3,220 acres, according to district officials.
Project Timeline and Funding
Work crews installed the first five miles of pipeline in 2024 and completed the remaining stretch during recent months. Total project costs reached approximately $2 million, financed through a combination of state and federal agricultural programs.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality provided $250,000 through its State Agricultural Best Management Practices grant program. The bulk of funding came from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
Wade Egan, who serves as secretary-treasurer and project manager for the irrigation district, said conversations about replacing the ditch system have taken place for more than two decades.
“I’m 59 years old and it’s been discussed about piping this thing for the last 24 years,” Egan said.
The district was established in 1896 and had relied on open-channel irrigation infrastructure for more than a century before pursuing the pipeline conversion.
Water Conservation and Cost Savings
District officials project water savings of at least 30 percent following the pipeline conversion, with potential efficiency gains reaching as high as 45 percent in some delivery zones. Previous water loss occurred through ground seepage and surface evaporation along the exposed ditch system.
Under the old delivery method, shareholders at the far end of the system required releases of 2,500 gallons per minute from the reservoir to receive 1,300 gallons per minute at their fields, compensating for losses along the route.
The new pipeline delivers water under gravity pressure from Hawkins Reservoir downhill to agricultural operations, eliminating nearly all pumping electricity costs. Irrigators have been able to sell pumps that are no longer needed for water delivery to center-pivot and wheel-line irrigation equipment.
Coanda screen filters installed at the pipeline intake remove sediment and debris from reservoir water before it enters the distribution system, providing clean water throughout the delivery network.
Reduced Maintenance Requirements
Operational costs associated with maintaining open irrigation ditches have been eliminated under the new system. Egan estimated that he and three workers previously spent eight full days each spring cleaning their portion of the ditch network.
Annual maintenance tasks included removing vegetation growth, scooping accumulated sediment, walking the entire ditch length for inspections, and addressing damage from burrowing animals and weed infestations.
“Prior to the pipeline, irrigation members would have to clean the ditch of growth, scope the ditch, walk the ditch, inspect it for gophers, weeds,” Egan said.
Equipment maintenance and replacement expenses for irrigation pumps have also been eliminated now that the system operates entirely on gravity pressure.
Grant Application Process
The irrigation district worked with the Portneuf Soil and Water Conservation District to secure grant funding beginning approximately five years ago. The conservation district submitted the application for state BMP program support on behalf of the irrigation shareholders.
Steven Smith, a Source Water 319 analyst for Idaho DEQ, said the application underwent evaluation by basin advisory groups before receiving final approval for funding.
“We run it through our ranking process, through our basin advisory groups and that one ranked out high enough to get funded,” Smith said.
Of the $250,000 state grant award, $225,000 went directly to the irrigation district while $25,000 was allocated to the Portneuf Soil and Water Conservation District.
Taylor Uphoff, conservation team leader for USDA-NRCS, said the federal EQIP program provides both technical expertise and financial resources to agricultural producers addressing natural resource management challenges.
“When we look at the Hawkins pipeline, this specific project focuses on improving the irrigation company’s ability to reduce surface water loss and efficiently deliver surface water to their shareholders,” Uphoff said. “The pipeline project would also allow them to utilize gravity pressure and reduce their irrigation pumps.”
Environmental Benefits
Beyond operational improvements for shareholders, the pipeline conversion carries environmental advantages by preventing sediment transport through the irrigation system. Water confined within the pipeline cannot collect soil particles or carry erosion from ditch banks downstream.
The project aligns with state efforts to improve water quality in the Portneuf River watershed and reduce agricultural contributions to sediment loading in regional waterways.
What Comes Next
The completed Hawkins pipeline project arrives as Idaho faces significant water supply challenges. Governor Brad Little issued a statewide drought declaration earlier this year, highlighting pressures on agricultural water users across the state. The 2026 water year has been characterized as precarious by state officials monitoring reservoir levels and snowpack conditions.
For Marsh Center Irrigation District shareholders, the new infrastructure provides improved water security through conservation measures that stretch available supplies further across irrigated acreage. District officials report the system is now fully operational for the current growing season.