Commissioner John Keys will be on hand to deliver the award to OSBOC on January 25 at the Idaho Water Users Association Convention's awards luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel in Boise.

They were selected for their superior efforts in making improvements to their irrigation water delivery system. The OSBOC operates and maintains irrigation facilities within the Gem and Ridgeview Districts of the South Division of the Owyhee Project. This system consists of about 158 miles of canals and laterals which provide water to over 40,000 acres in Idaho and eastern Oregon.

In an effort to conserve water, OSBOC replaced all or part of several open irrigation delivery laterals with nearly 19 miles of pipe. The piping reduced seepage and has also provided pressure delivery for irrigation sprinklers in some areas. The board has installed a telephone telemetry system at several canal locations that can monitor flows remotely and regulate flows, and an automated trashrack at the Gem Pumping Plant to control trash and debris. Further, OSBOC has implemented daily accounting of water deliveries to helps users better plan their irrigation usage.

OSBOC has its headquarters in Homedale, Idaho.