A major canal that channels water from the Deschutes River east into the High Desert of Deschutes County suffered a failure over the weekend, prompting Central Oregon Irrigation District to shut down the canal.

The canal, which supplies water to district patrons in Bend, Alfalfa and Powell Butte, experienced a major breach, according to ShanRae Hawkins, a spokesperson for the district.

“This breach, resulting from a lava tube collapse in the canal floor, created a 40-foot sinkhole,” Hawkins said.

The breach on the district’s Central Oregon Canal occurred between Ward and Gosney roads on the eastern outskirts of Bend. The district shut off water to the canal on Sunday morning, impacting 1,800 properties, or around 55% of its patrons.

The Bend Park & Recreation District issued a warning to people using the Bend Whitewater Park that the shut-off caused more water than normal to remain in the Deschutes River, resulting in higher flows. The district’s social media pages described hazardous conditions in the fish channel used by inner tubers.

Hawkins said approximately 450 cubic feet per second is flowing into the river instead of the canal, causing an increase in river flows and affecting the Bend Whitewater Park.

The district is “actively working” to assess and repair damage to the canal, she said.