The streamflow challenges currently facing the Deschutes Basin trace back more than 100 years. Eyeing a successful future for local agriculture and unaware of potential environmental consequences, settlers put the Basin’s water to work. The…
Deschutes River Conservancy News
Whychus Creek: The life of Rimrock Ranch
Rimrock Ranch is a gorgeous 1,120 acre property situated along Whychus Creek near Sisters. When owners Gayle and Bob Baker moved to the ranch nearly two decades ago, they fell in love with the wild…
Reclamation Funds Study for Sustainable Water Management in Oregon’s Upper Deschutes Basin
For Release: June 9, 2014 BEND, Ore.– The Department of the Interior announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation will make $1.8 million available for comprehensive water studies addressing climate change options to three western…
The Deschutes River: what is valued most downstream?
“Chuush” is the word you’ll hear at the beginning and end of any ceremonial meal in Warm Springs. It means water in the Warm Springs language, Ichishkiin. Held in the highest regard by the Tribes, water is believed…
A fisherman’s perspective on the Deschutes River
Talk a little about your guiding business. I started Deep Canyon Outfitters in 2009 after working with another outfitter for 4 years, and before that, yet another outfitter for 3 years. In total I have…
Farmers, fish and streams win in Whychus
We can look forward to a higher flowing, healthier Whychus Creek this summer as a result of the latest in a series of restoration projects that have revived this Sisters creek. Once a dry creek…
With all this flooding now, why talk of a drought this summer?
The Deschutes River and its tributaries are fed by melting snow from the Cascade Mountains. When we get rain and warmer weather in the winter and early spring, it melts the snow pack, sometimes dramatically…
Madras farmer, Phil Fine, tells us why the river is important to him
Talk a little bit about your farming operation. I am a third generation Madras area farmer who has taken over the family farm and has expanded the acreage as opportunity has allowed. We grow carrot…
Some successes from this year we would like to share with you:
Crooked River In the past year, DRC and our partners have improved fish habitat in the Crooked River by ensuring streamflows up to six times greater than they had been in the past. We expect to improve…