The Bend Park & Recreation District released a draft plan Wednesday for consolidating recreational river access points and restoring riparian habitats at parks along the Deschutes River.
A plan to pipe sections of open canal owned by Arnold Irrigation District in Bend has been met with opposition by residents in the area surrounding the canal.
It was a bit surprising to discover that some of the rivers proposed for Wild and Scenic designation were dried up or creeks, streams or gulches — not really rivers at all.
The record-shattering heat wave in the Pacific Northwest prompted fishing and conservation groups to ask a federal court Friday to order more spill from dams on the lower Snake and Columbia rivers next spring, which could aid the migration of endangered salmon and steelhead runs.
Facing drought conditions and a dire shortage of water, North Unit Irrigation District in Jefferson County has started talks with the city of Bend about tapping its treated wastewater, a small but potentially helpful lifeline that could extend the district’s irrigation season — but not this year.
Prineville Reservoir was 38% full as of Friday, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation website. In an average year on the same day the reservoir would be 83% full.
Extreme drought is setting up the Deschutes River for lower flows next month — not the best news for tubers, surfers and kayakers who depend on the swift-flowing river for summertime fun. But seasoned river users say there is still a lot of life left in the Deschutes this year.
This summer, for the first time in its 55-year history, Iron Gate Fish Hatchery will not release young salmon into the Klamath River.
Elwha and Glines Canyon dams- were removed in 2011 and 2014 respectively, and together they are considered the world’s largest dam removal project to date.
