SWALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT

What SWALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT does

Swalley Irrigation District is a public municipal corporation organized under Oregon Revised Statute 545, delivering irrigation water and ancillary renewable energy services to landowners and water users in central Oregon. Founded in 1899 (originally as the Deschutes Reclamation and Irrigation Company, incorporated as a public entity in 1994), the district serves approximately 668 patron accounts across roughly 4,300 irrigated acres within a fixed 17,000-acre service territory running between Bend and Redmond, Oregon. The district's foundational asset is its senior water rights on the Middle Deschutes River, with a priority date of September 1, 1899 — the oldest on the river.

The district's core product is seasonal irrigation water delivery (April 1 – October 31) through approximately 30 miles of canals and pipelines, of which roughly 64% had been converted from open canal to pressurized pipeline as of 2026. Supporting infrastructure includes the 0.75 MW Ponderosa Hydroelectric Plant (built 2010, the first small-scale hydro facility in Oregon since 1990), which generates approximately 2 million kWh per year using a horizontal Francis turbine, plus a federally compliant fish ladder and V-shaped fishscreen at the 1912-built North Canal Diversion Dam (jointly developed with COID and Lone Pine Irrigation Districts). Customer-facing technology is limited to a standard online patron portal for billing and account management.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual irrigation assessments billed to patrons based on water rights acreage and set by the district's three-member elected Board of Directors, supplemented by hydroelectric power sales, development and administrative fees (water right inquiries, easement requests), and pass-through grant funding from agencies including the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-patron through district-owned infrastructure, with supplemental intermingled delivery agreements with Central Oregon Irrigation District and Avion Water. The district employs 5 staff and is governed by 3 elected board directors serving staggered three-year terms, with day-to-day operations led by General Manager Jer Camarata since 2016.

Name

SWALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT

Legal name

Swalley Irrigation District

Website

https://swalley.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swalley Irrigation District is a public municipal irrigation utility (ORS 545) delivering seasonal irrigation water to approximately 668 patron accounts across 4,300 acres between Bend and Redmond, Oregon, while operating a 0.75 MW hydroelectric plant and modernizing its canal-to-pipeline conveyance system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Irrigation Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water-Smart Irrigation & Water Stewardship (Drip/Micro, Scheduling, Water Harvesting) (AFAGAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Irrigation Design, Installation & Maintenance Services (Engineering, Retrofit, Repair) (AFAAACAL), Monitoring, Metering & Flow Measurement (Meters, Pressure/Flow Gauges, Telemetry) (AFAAACAK)

Keywords

• Irrigation water delivery
• Agricultural water utility
• Small-scale hydroelectric power
• Canal piping modernization
• Water rights management

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Irrigation Water Assessments: Annual irrigation water assessments billed to patrons based on water rights acreage. Patrons pay annual assessments as determined by the Board of Directors. Revenue funds district operations, maintenance, and capital improvement projects.
2. Hydroelectric Power Generation: The district owns and operates the Ponderosa Hydroelectric Plant (0.75 MW) which generates approximately 2 million kWh per year of renewable energy. Operations are incidental to on-farm water deliveries, with green renewable electricity created when water is delivered to farmers.
3. Development and Administrative Fees: Fees collected for development handbook policy reviews, water right inquiries, easement requests, and assessment calculations. Fees are outlined in the annual Fees, Fines & Assessment Policy and vary based on request type and scope.
4. Credit Card Processing Fees: A 3% convenience fee is assessed when patrons pay bills by credit card through the Pay by Credit Card option. This fee goes to the credit card company and not to Swalley.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Swalley Irrigation District delivers seasonal irrigation water (April 1 – October 31) to approximately 668 patron accounts covering 4,300 acres of agricultural and small-acreage land within a 17,000-acre service territory between Bend and Redmond, Oregon, using about 30 miles of district-owned canal and pipeline infrastructure. The district also generates renewable hydroelectric energy at the 0.75 MW Ponderosa Plant and operates fish-passage and fishscreen infrastructure at the North Canal Diversion Dam to meet environmental compliance requirements.

Product overview

Swalley Irrigation District operates as a public municipal corporation (ORS 545 irrigation district) providing irrigation water services to approximately 4,300 acres across ~17,000 acres of service territory between Bend and Redmond, Oregon. The District's core product portfolio centers on irrigation water delivery through approximately 30 miles of canals and pipelines, supplemented by hydropower generation at the Ponderosa Hydroelectric Plant (0.75 MW). Key infrastructure modernization projects include canal piping conversions that have piped approximately 64% of the conveyance system as of 2026, fish passage facilities (fish ladder and fishscreen at North Canal Diversion Dam), and planned future piping projects including the Elder Lateral Piping Project and Main Lateral Phases 8-10. The District serves approximately 668 patron accounts with seasonal water delivery (April-October) and offers customer-facing services including a patron portal for account management and bill payment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Irrigation Water Delivery Seasonal irrigation water delivery from April 1 through October 31 at variable flow rates (30% ~2 gpm/ac, 50% ~3.5 gpm/ac, and 100% ~5–7 gpm/ac) to approximately 668 patron accounts covering roughly 4,300 irrigated acres within a 17,000-acre service territory between Bend and Redmond, Oregon, conveyed through approximately 30 miles of district-owned canals and pipelines.
• Ponderosa Hydroelectric Power Generation Small-scale hydroelectric generation at the district-owned Ponderosa Plant producing approximately 2 million kWh per year of fish-friendly, low-impact renewable energy, equivalent to the power needs of roughly 250–350 homes and businesses in the Old-Mill District and Southern Crossing District of Bend, Oregon.

Quantifiable outcome

• Permanently restored over 45 cfs to middle Deschutes River
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Energy Trust of OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Key partner in capital improvement projects including the Ponderosa Hydroelectric Plant (built in 2010). Energy Trust of Oregon provides funding and incentives for renewable energy and irrigation efficiency projects.
• Deschutes River ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey conservation partner in water restoration projects. The conservancy works with districts on water conservation, fisheries improvement, and hydropower projects benefiting farmers and the environment.
• Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey funding partner for capital improvement and restoration projects. Awarded $689,000 grant for fish ladder project and provides ongoing funding for piping and conservation projects.
• Farmers Conservation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValuable community partner and project funder for piping and modernization projects. FCA assists with project development and implementation.
• Oregon DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in capital improvement projects including water quality improvement initiatives. DEQ provides loan programs for water projects.
• USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering designs for piping projects completed by NRCS. Federal approval and permits obtained through NRCS. Key partner in System Improvement Plan (SIP) development and watershed planning.
• Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint diversion structure and fishscreens project at North Canal Diversion Dam (NCDD). Intermingled delivery agreement for edge deliveries. Partnership made design and maintenance cost-effective.
• Lone Pine Irrigation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in joint fishscreen installation at North Canal Diversion Dam along with COID. Three districts (including Swalley) divert 785 cfs total at this location.
• North Unit Irrigation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed to fish ladder project funding ($378,000 share) along with COID and Swalley. All three districts cover remaining costs and manage the project.
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided criteria for fishscreen development meeting fishery protection requirements under Endangered Species Act. Awarded $602,000 for fish ladder project. Partner in fishscreen funding program.
• Deschutes Basin Board of Control (DBBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergovernmental unit under ORS 190.125 formed by 8 irrigation districts (Arnold, COID, Lone Pine, North Unit, Ochoco, Swalley, Three Sisters, Tumalo) to work together on water conservation projects, educational resources, and joint purposes.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Three Sisters Irrigation District: Central Oregon irrigation district and DBBC member operating on the Deschutes system. Comparable scale, similar canal-piping modernization profile, and overlapping basin-wide conservation partnership exposure.
• Arnold Irrigation District: Adjacent central Oregon irrigation district using Deschutes River water for agricultural deliveries. Highly comparable operating model (canal-based water delivery, similar patron profile, small district staff) and a former employer of Swalley's current Operations Manager.
• North Unit Irrigation District: Central Oregon irrigation district diverting from the Deschutes system. Comparable as a fellow Deschutes Basin Board of Control member and co-funder of the North Canal Diversion Dam fish ladder project.
• Lone Pine Irrigation District: Deschutes Basin irrigation district that partnered with Swalley on the North Canal Diversion Dam fishscreen. Comparable operating model, water rights profile, and modernization pipeline.
• Tumalo Irrigation District: Small Deschutes Basin irrigation district operating in the Bend area with a comparable canal-to-pipeline modernization mandate. Direct structural peer with shared geography, patrons, and modernization challenges.
• Ochoco Irrigation District: Crooked River / Ochoco Basin irrigation district and DBBC member. Comparable in being a small Oregon irrigation district with active modernization, conservation, and ESA-driven water management pressures.
• Farmers Irrigation District (Hood River, OR): Oregon irrigation district led earlier by Swalley's current General Manager. Comparable in size, canal-to-pipeline modernization focus, and hydro/solar co-generation profile.
• Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID): Neighboring irrigation district also serving central Oregon with Deschutes River water rights. Most direct comparable — same river basin, overlapping service territory, intermingled delivery agreement, and joint fishscreen/fish ladder partnership at the North Canal Diversion Dam.

Others

• Avion Water Company: Private water utility delivering dual drinking/irrigation systems in central Oregon subdivisions and reselling Swalley irrigation water rights through private infrastructure. Comparable as a distribution channel and indirect monetization partner for Swalley water rights.
• Deschutes River Conservancy: Conservation partner that works with Swalley and other Deschutes Basin districts on water restoration transactions. Comparable as a key ecosystem participant shaping Swalley's instream flow and pipeline funding pathway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swalley-irrigation-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SWALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT