Walking the Upper Deschutes: Understanding Flows and Ecology

Join the Deschutes River Conservancy for an afternoon walking tour of the Upper Deschutes River. As flows drop for the winter, we’ll walk the river trail near Lava Island Falls and learn how current water management shapes the river and what these seasonal changes mean for stream habitat and the species the river supports. This is the same stretch of river where the annual fish rescue takes place later in October, when volunteers relocate stranded fish back to the main channel. Learn about the history of flows in the basin, the challenges of balancing water for rivers, communities, and irrigation, and the ways basin partners are working to improve flows and instream conditions for fish, frogs, and habitat in the Deschutes and its tributaries.