Collected and curated media Articles about the water and rivers in the western united states
![Guest column: A forever stamp, maybe not a forever river]()
As this paper pointed out in a recent article, our iconic Deschutes River will be recognized on a U.S. Postal Stamp in 2019. This recognition honors the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act passed 50 years ago by Congress. The federal act provides protections for a river’s “Outstanding Remarkable Values,” of which the Deschutes River has many. From unique species of flora and fauna, to endangered wildlife, it provides a unique access to solitude for those that recreate along its banks.
![Bend Park Board attaches string to Mirror Pond dredging funds]()
Dredging Mirror Pond was again at the center of Tuesday night's Parks and Recreation District Board meeting in Bend.
![How will climate change affect local rivers?]()
In addition to bringing longer wildfire seasons and warmer winters to Central Oregon, climate change stands to fundamentally alter the lifeblood of many of the region’s communities: its rivers.
![Mirror Pond dredging plan inches forward]()
Pacific Power & Light pledged Friday to contribute $300,000 to dredging Mirror Pond, but whether the project will move forward depends on support from the Bend City Council.
![Park district supports Mirror Pond dredging]()
A controversial plan to fund the removal of sediment from Mirror Pond passed a key hurdle on Tuesday, as the Bend Park & Recreation District’s board of directors expressed support for the project.
![Swalley Irrigation canal-piping plans gain final approval]()
Plans to modernize Swalley Irrigation District’s aging irrigation infrastructure by piping more than 16 miles of open canals have been approved to move forward into construction, officials said Monday.
![Forest Service removing berm along Deschutes River Trail to restore floodplain]()
Workers began removing a troublesome berm along the banks of the Deschutes River on Thursday, the most visible step yet in an eight-year process to reunite a disconnected floodplain with the river. The change would help attract some plants and animals that left because of poor habitat conditions, including the Oregon spotted frog, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
![Guest column: City, county, irrigation districts committed to long-term Crooked River health]()
Central Oregon’s current drought conditions, coupled with a lower-than-average snowpack forecast this winter, has understandably fueled concerns for those of us who value the rivers and streams of the Deschutes Basin.
![Letters: Save the fish]()
Once upon a time there, were lots of salmon, steelhead and trout in the Deschutes River system. What happened?
![Ryan Ranch restoration work to begin next week]()
BEND, Ore. - The Deschutes National Forest plans to start a project to restore the Ryan Ranch floodplain near Dillon Falls next Tuesday, if conditions remain favorable.
![State helps fund Tumalo Irrigation canal piping]()
The Oregon Water Resources Commission has approved $5.3 million in grant funding for conservation projects across the state, including a Tumalo Irrigation District canal-piping project.
![$5.3 million awarded to 7 Oregon water projects]()
Most of the projects focus on improving water conveyance systems, such as replacing open canals with pipes, as well as improving the function of water storage and diversion structures.
![Low flows, dry winter could spell trouble for Crooked River fish]()
It could be a tough winter for redband trout and other fish living in the Crooked River, thanks to a decision to hold more water in Prineville Reservoir Earlier this fall, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that it planned to release 50 cubic feet of water per second from Bowman Dam, a 57-year-old dam on the Crooked River that forms Prineville Reservoir.
![Editorial: The Mirror Pond budget blowout]()
Dredging Mirror Pond is a sensible use of city and park district money, yet leaders of both entities have bickered for months about how to divvy up the nearly $7 million bill.
![Mirror Pond group looks to ease environmental concerns over dredging]()
Mirror Pond stakeholders agreed Friday that a fish ladder could ease environmentalists’ concerns about removing silt from the pond — but they don’t know how to pay for the fish-friendly structure, or the roughly $6.7 million cost of dredging.
![Flow to drop at Wickiup, Haystack for dive inspections]()
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries, will reduce fish and wildlife winter flows from Wickiup and Haystack dams as appropriate for dive inspections of the dams on Saturday.
![Guest column: October is the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act]()
Oregon is home to a number of iconic rivers, from the Deschutes and Metolius rivers in Central Oregon to gems like the North Umpqua and the Rogue. These rivers provide clean drinking water, fish and wildlife habitat and amazing recreational opportunities. As we celebrate the 50th birthday of one of our most important river conservation tools, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, it’s a good time to ask if we ought to be celebrating or worrying about our rivers.
![OREGON'S EXTREME DROUGHT LOOKS SET TO CONTINUE]()
Oregon is known by many as a wet place, with persistent rain and forests enveloped in fog. This year is different. In a matter of just six weeks over the summer, one-third of Oregon was instead enveloped by extreme drought.
![El Niño could bring warm, dry winter to Central Oregon]()
As winter approaches, the evidence suggesting another low-snow year for Central Oregon and much of the Pacific Northwest is mounting.
![Dropping water reveals decades of trash at Wickiup]()
Declining water levels at Wickiup Reservoir have shattered records and prompted concerns from irrigation districts and farmers, and the receding water has exposed another problem: decades of old motors, aluminum cans, unwanted couches and other trash that has accumulated at the bottom of the reservoir.
