We're looking forward to a wonderful 2019 RiverFeast Dinner & Auction and would love for you to be there. Get your tickets today! Join us on May 11th for a delightful evening of irresistible food, spirits, and music. Bid on...
DRC News & Resources
What could be better than a super fun Big Eddy Thriller? How about one followed by a complimentary tasting of local craft beer from Boneyard Beer? Join Sun Country Tours on Wednesday, August 29, as they partner with Boneyard Beer and...
We are so grateful to be a beneficiary of the Bend Brewfest for the past 8 years! Bend Brewfest gives us the chance to have some great conversations with visitors and locals about the river and what we are doing...
After a near-complete drawdown of Wickiup Reservoir last fall and a snowpack that has been well below average so far this winter, water managers are not optimistic about filling the reservoir and having a full water supply for this summer....
Brooks Resources proudly presents the 12th Annual RiverFeast Dinner & Auction to benefit the Deschutes River Conservancy on Saturday, May 11th at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon’s beautiful event space. The company is celebrating its 50th anniversary this...
The Deschutes River Conservancy's (DRC) Board of Directors and staff are welcoming our new Executive Director, Ron Nelson, to the organization in January 2019. Nelson succeeds long-time director, Tod Heisler, who is leaving to pursue new opportunities in conservation. Under...
Things have been heating up in Bend and the summer tourist season seems to be in full swing. Last weekend, I decided to head up to Wickiup Reservoir to get away from the crowds and cool down with a swim...
If you’re like me, the transition to summer over the past month has been a welcome one! In Oregon, summer not only means longer, warmer days but also less wet stuff falling from the sky. Oddly though, summer also brings...
Even though the Willamette River Basin is extremely similar to the Deschutes River Basin in terms of size and geographic location, it has a much wetter climate. The differences in vegetation are pretty obvious even from satellite imagery! By Jake...
Restoring Flows Since the early 1900s, Whychus Creek ran dry in two out of every three years due to irrigation diversions. Through a combination of water conservation (i.e. piping) and both permanent and temporary water transfers, the creek is now...
McKay Creek flows 37 miles from its headwaters in the Ochoco National Forest through private agricultural lands and joins the Crooked River just northwest of the City of Prineville in Crook County. Due in part to irrigation diversions, streamflows are...
Artwork by Susan Luckey Higdon The state of Oregon has released its 2017 Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS). The purpose of the strategy is to “bring various sectors and interests together to work toward the common purpose of maintaining healthy...
The Upper Deschutes River Basin Study, a 3-year study focused on meeting water needs in our basin, will be complete in September 2018. The study identifies water needs for rivers, agriculture and growing communities in Central Oregon, and evaluates tools...
How it all started Over 100 years ago, federal and state policies encouraged the settlement of the high desert by facilitating access to land and irrigation water. In many cases, the state gave out more water rights than existed in...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Mike Relf, Bureau of Reclamation, bor-pnr-udbasinstudy@usbr.gov, 208-378-5175 Craig Horrell, Deschutes Basin Board of Control, chorrell@coid.org, 541-548-6047 Kate Fitzpatrick, Deschutes River Conservancy, kate@deschutesriver.org, 541-382-4077 Open Houses for Upper Deschutes River Basin Study Study focuses...
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...
The Deschutes River runs through the heart of Central Oregon. For the past century, the river has been managed to serve irrigation needs. This has had a negative impact on flows and the health of the river. Together with our...
The Deschutes River winds magnificently through Central Oregon bringing life to our arid landscape. For decades this river has been managed for irrigation purposes and has suffered as a result. It's time to change the story of the Deschutes River...
Brooks Resources proudly presents the 12th Annual RiverFeast Dinner & Auction to benefit the Deschutes River Conservancy on Saturday, May 11th at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon’s beautiful event space. The company is celebrating its 50th anniversary this...
The Deschutes River Conservancy's (DRC) Board of Directors and staff are welcoming our new Executive Director, Ron Nelson, to the organization in January 2019. Nelson succeeds long-time director, Tod Heisler, who is leaving to pursue new opportunities in conservation. Under...
The Deschutes River Conservancy's long-term Executive Director, Tod Heisler is leaving the organization in December. After 15 years leading the Conservancy, Tod is moving on to explore new opportunities in Central Oregon conservation work. Tod’s tenure at the DRC has...
Includes the 2017 Flow Restoration Report, Project Updates on the Basin Study and McKay Creek, A Ten-Year Look at Restoration in Whychus Creek, and the Introduction or the DRC's New Blog Series. View the 2017 Annual Report
View the 2018 Winter DRC RiverVoice (PDF)
Includes the 2016 Flow Restoration Report, Tools to Create A Healthy Deschutes, McKay Creek's Missing Link, and a Message from DRC Executive Director, Tod Heisler. View the 2016 Annual Report