July was hot; the hottest month on record according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Combine that with an unusually warm winter, dismally low snowpack and drought declaration in 90% of Oregon and…
Deschutes River Conservancy News
Water conservation for the future
With drought declarations now in the majority of Oregon’s 36 counties, water is top of mind. Here in the Deschutes Basin, our situation is serious, but not as grim as in some places. We benefit from…
Finding Opportunity For Conservation in How We Use Water
This year, water is top of mind. With drought declarations throughout the Western United States, communities are working to better manage a limited supply of water. Through regulatory and voluntary measures, many are finding ways…
Water planning for the future: what does it look like?
Whychus Creek will flow this summer, revealing both promise and a challenge. For nearly 20 years, the DRC has partnered with local water interests to collaboratively restore flows in our rivers and streams. This approach…
Drought in Whychus
Whychus Creek depends entirely on snowmelt for streamflow. With historically low snowpack in the Cascades this winter, water is in very short supply. State water and emergency managers have recommended a drought declaration for Deschutes County,…
Spring is here! But what happened to winter?
Spring is finally here, but what an unusual winter! Unseasonably warm temperatures resulted in very little snowpack and an average amount of precipitation that allowed reservoirs to fill in the Upper Deschutes Basin ahead of…
Local Rancher Credits Whychus Creek Conservation Efforts with Spectacular Harvest
“If someone were to have asked me five years ago: What would be your fantasy addition to your ranch? I would have said a center-pivot irrigation system that would improve my crop and save water.…
Harvest update for Central Oregon
The harvest season is drawing to a close in Central Oregon as fall seeding and preparation for the next year begin. With the successful completion of a diversity of crops grown, from garbanzo beans to…
Removing the last concrete dam in Whychus Creek
Thirteen miles of upstream spawning and rearing habitat are now open to reintroduced Chinook salmon and steelhead as well as redband trout now that the last concrete dam on Whychus Creek has been removed. The…