Water and River News Updates

Collected and curated media Articles about the water and rivers in the western united states

Jan 20, 2019 - Bend Bulletin - Lucky weather has led to strong snowpack despite climate change

The annual snowpack in the Oregon Cascades has been remarkably resilient in the face of climate change over the past several decades.

Jan 08, 2019 - Bend Bulletin - Letter to the Editor: Protect the River

The Bulletin’s Dec. 27 footbridge editorial missed the point of Mary Orton’s report to Bend Park & Recreation District. At their Dec. 18 board meeting, she challenged Bend parks to include the many and varied voices working to preserve the wild and scenic character of the Upper Deschutes River, in balance with recreation. Can Bend parks embrace both points of view?

Jan 04, 2019 - Bend Bulletin - Editorial: Tumalo project a winner

It won’t happen this year or next, but the Tumalo Irrigation District is well on its way to having all its canals, large and small, converted to buried pipe. When the task is complete, the district’s water users, wildlife and Tumalo and Crescent creeks, the sources of its water, will all be better off.

Dec 27, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - Editorial: As time passes, case for Deschutes footbridge becomes stronger

Led by the owners of riverside homes and abetted by a pair of local Republican legislators, those who oppose the construction of a pedestrian and bike bridge over the Deschutes River have, if nothing else, succeeded in generating controversy. What they’ve failed to do is translate that controversy into a bridge ban. And without that, the passage of time will work steadily in the bridge’s favor.

Dec 22, 2018 - KTVZ - Stretch of Deschutes River Trail to stay closed near Ryan Ranch

A section of the Deschutes River Trail on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District will remain closed between Dillon Falls Boat Ramp and Slough Camp for the winter, Deschutes National Forest officials said Friday.

Dec 22, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - Guest column: Crooked River water — public right vs. private profits

An article in the Nov. 9 Bulletin reported that due to low water reserves, the Bureau of Reclamation that controls water release from Prineville Reservoir might limit flows in the Crooked River to preserve water for irrigators to the detriment of fish and the Crooked River’s aquatic ecosystem.

Dec 20, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - Guest column: Dredging Mirror Pond is not a sound idea

Based on my knowledge of rivers, I believe Mirror Pond should not be dredged again — even if costs can be totally funded from private sources. From an ecological perspective, the most logical and practical solution to what will be a continuing pond dilemma is to return this reach of the river to its natural hydrology. By nature, the flow of rivers constantly transports sediment and organic matter downstream until particles drop out in areas where the current declines — such as in an artificially excavated pond. This fundamental fact means that deposition of sediment and the subsequent natural wetlands transition process, called eutrophication, will recur each time Mirror Pond is dredged.

Dec 19, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - Apple will pay for Prineville water storage to meet data centers’ enormous thirst

Amid massive thirst from its Central Oregon data centers, and other strains on regional water supplies, Apple said Wednesday it will spend $8.7 million to help the city of Prineville build an underground water storage facility.

Dec 19, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - Distrust, lack of facts threaten proposed Deschutes River bridge, report says

After years of contentious discussions about a proposed footbridge across the Deschutes River created deep divides on both sides of the issue, the Bend Park & Recreation District may face a long, arduous path toward spanning that divide.

Dec 18, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - 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.

Dec 18, 2018 - KTVZ - 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.

Dec 10, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - 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.

Dec 07, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - 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.

Dec 04, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - 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.

Dec 03, 2018 - KTVZ - 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.

Nov 29, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - 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.

Nov 24, 2018 - Bend Bulletin - 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.