Deschutes River Conservancy | Streamflow Restoration in Central Oregon

SEMINAR TONIGHT @ 6 PM: Whose Water is it Anyway? Water Rights 101

Tonight's seminar is sold out in person, but you can still watch via livestream.
WATCH LIVESTREAM

RESTORING STREAMFLOW AND IMPROVING WATER QUALITY
IN THE DESCHUTES RIVER BASIN FOR 25 YEARS

Click to view the interactive basin map

INNOVATION
Fresh ideas to accelerate
conservation & restoration

COLLABORATION
Bringing diverse voices together
to solve complex water issues

FLOW RESTORATION
Restoring flows and improving
water quality for the benefit of all

WATER PLANNING
Ensuring water security basin-wide
for today and into the future

Top Stories

Notes From the Field – 28th Annual Fisheries Workshop

DRC Intern, Angie Huber recently attended the Deschutes Basin's 28th Annual Fisheries Workshop hosted by PGE and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Here's what she learned.

Notes from the Field – Senator Merkley Commemorates Milestone for Three Sisters Irrigation

TSID celebrated 25 years of conservation efforts with a ribbon cutting on their latest hydroelectric project. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Robert Bonnie, an undersecretary at the US Department of Agriculture attended in support of the anniversary.

Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Instream Rivers Act

Did you know that permanently protecting flows in Oregon’s rivers wasn’t always possible? Today is the 35th anniversary of Oregon’s Instream Water Act. Thanks to this forward-thinking act, Oregon has become a leader in voluntary streamflow restoration.

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We’re lucky to have this beautiful river

but the systems that manage it were created 100 years ago, and now it’s suffering

Act Now to Save the Deschutes River

The Deschutes is a natural jewel in the heart of our community. But many of us are unaware that the river upstream of Bend is in big trouble. Its ecology is at a tipping point and showing steep declines in fish, wildlife and vegetation. We must act now before it is too late.

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The problems are fixable and we're all working together to conserve water and solve them

Basin Wide Planning

Planning for sustainable water management practices to support the river and other users into the future.
Find Out More About Basin Wide Planning
Water Rights Transfers

DRC's transfers program acquires and transfers water rights to be permanently protected instream.
Find out about Water Rights Transfers
Water Management

Sharing water to meet the modern needs of rivers, cities, and farms.
Find Out More About Water Management
Streamflow Restoration

The Deschutes Basin is over-allocated. We work cooperatively in the basin to restore flows in local streams.
Find out about streamflow restoration
Groundwater Mitigation

The DRC Groundwater Mitigation Bank creates temporary credits through instream leases.
Find out about Groundwater Mitigation

Everyone will win if we can fix this

The streamflow challenges currently facing the Deschutes Basin trace back more than 100 years. Settlers put the Basin's water to work pursuing a successful future for local agriculture but not considering the environmental impact. Today we know far more about the need to protect ecosystems while supporting livelihoods. We're fortunate to be in a basin with enough water for all — provided it's properly managed. By rethinking and rebalancing how we use and share water, we can and will have enough water for fish, farms, and families.