Committee hears bill to preserve easement rights when ditches become irrigation pipelines

Representative Ken Walsh, sponsor of House Bill 355, told the House Natural Resources Committee on Friday that the bill clarifies that easement rights remain when an irrigation canal or ditch is converted to a buried or above‑ground pipeline.

The measure would make explicit that the owner or manager of a converted ditch — for example an irrigation district or co‑op — retains access to the pipeline for maintenance and repair, Walsh said.

The clarification matters because many irrigation systems around the state are being converted to pipelines for safety, liability and water‑conservation…