LandWatch files in federal court to stop Bend water project

Opponents of the Bridge Creek water-pipeline project are asking afederal judge to put construction, expected by the city of Bend to beginWednesday, on hold.

Central Oregon LandWatch filed a request for atemporary restraining order and preliminary injunction last night withthe U.S. District Court in Eugene, trying to stop overhaul of thepipeline, according to the court. Last week the group filed a lawsuit,questioning U.S. Forest Service approval of the pipeline project.

The$20.1 million project would replace two pipelines, which draw waterfrom Bridge Creek west of town, with one pipeline. The existing pipeswere installed in the 1920s and 1950s and are crumbling, said cityspokesman Justin Finestone.

The Forest Service earlier this yearrejected appeals to the project filed by Central Oregon LandWatch withthe Deschutes National Forest and then the Pacific Northwest RegionalOffice.

Contractors this week began staging equipment andmaterials along Tumalo Falls Road. The road is set to be closed most ofthe time until May, which construction is expected to end.