The fish and water intake tower at Round Butte Dam is designed so that fish following water currents toward the Pacific Ocean will be drawn into an underwater structure, sorted and marked. Crews will then drive them around the Round Butte, Pelton and Reregulating dams for release into the Lower Deschutes. … get sorted by size so the smaller ones don’t get eaten …
In the Media
December 10, 2009 – Swinging For Steelhead On Lower Deschutes
Bill Valentine watched from the bank, his Spey rod strung, line taut as a bowstring. Matthew Mendes, our 20-year-old guide, pointed me to the next run, 10 steps farther.
December 24, 2009 – Bend Bulletin Promising Spring Chinook Season May Hit Deschutes
Anglers are eagerly awaiting what is projected to be the largest run of spring chinook salmon to enter the Columbia River since the construction of Bonneville Dam in the 1930s.
November 21, 2009 – As silt gathers in Mirror Pond, Officials Unsure of Who’s in Charge of a Solutio
The dam that created Mirror Pond is also a big factor in the sediment buildup issue. The dam slows the movement of water and the sediment in it, which causes some of it to settle along the edges of the pond and build up over time. Experts also suggest that the sediment load in the Deschutes River, which is carried into Mirror Pond, is particularly high because of the rate at which water is released from Wickiup Reservoir.
December 18, 2009 – One Word, ‘Navigable,’ Muddies Water Bill
One word can make all the difference, especially in the complex and contentious field of water law.
December 28 – Bend Bulletin Telfer Backs Irrigation Districts On Fish Passage
State Sen. Chris Telfer, R-Bend, wants the state to drop a requirement that local irrigation districts help fish get across North Canal Dam, on Bend’s north side.
October 8, 2009 – Bend Bulletin River Organization To Receive Funding
The Deschutes River Conservancy has signed a contract with the Bureau of Reclamation to receive more than $3.6 million in federal stimulus funds over 24 months, according to the Bend-based organization.
October 13, 2009 – Bend Bulletin Water Group Sets Its Goals
A group of irrigation districts, tribes, and city and county governments that wants to boost its political clout on water issues in the Deschutes River Basin took the first step toward that goal Monday, when group members discussed their plans for future work.
September 25, 2009 – The Oregonian Nonprofit Helps Rivers Return To Natural Flows
Lawrence Martin remembers from his boyhood how Evans Creek flowed like an artery in the Rogue River Valley — a deep, cold stream that gave life to salmon, steelhead and other species.