History & Milestones

The Orland Unit traces its origins to early irrigation efforts along Stony Creek in the late 1800s. In 1907 the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation authorized the Orland Project, one of the earliest federal irrigation projects in California. Water was first delivered in 1910, transforming dry farmland into productive agricultural land.

In 1954, local landowners formed the Orland Unit Water Users Association to take over operation and maintenance of the project from the federal government — reflecting our longstanding heritage of community-led water management.