Recreation

Since Bachelor Butte was renamed Mt. Bachelor, Central Oregon has been a premier destination for outdoor recreation - from skiing, hiking, biking and rock climbing to rafting, fishing and kayaking.

These attractions have provided an important source of tourism revenues and of course, they are a compelling draw for our residents too. From the slopes to the streams, these recreational opportunities are made possible by an annual cycle of winter precipitation in the Cascade range and by the resulting snowmelt, which feeds streams and recharges the underground aquifer. Unfortunately, so much of this water is diverted for irrigation or held back for storage in reservoirs that, at certain times of the year, there is not enough water in the middle and upper Deschutes for recreational use or to support healthy populations of redband trout. The DRC is working to move the Deschutes River toward a more sustainable state including increasing summer flows in the Middle Deschutes and winter flows in the Upper Deschutes. 
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