August 31, 2007 – Give Back to the Deschutes – A Day For the River

This article was published on: 08/31/07 12:00 AM

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Grant Access on Tribal Side
of Lower Deschutes River for One Day Fly Fishing Event


Bend, Oregon – This year, the Deschutes River Conservancy (DRC) is celebrating ten years of successful river restoration work in the Deschutes Basin. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs helped found the DRC in 1996 and have contributed to much the organization’s success. To raise awareness about the challenges facing the river and generate financial support for the DRC’s mission to restore streamflow and improve water quality in Deschutes Basin, the Tribes have granted the organization special access to the forty river miles on the Tribal side of the Lower Deschutes River that are usually off-limits for an exceptional fly fishing event.

Saturday, September 15, 2007 has been designated by the DRC as “A Day for the River”- a day to honor all that the river provides us. The limited access and sacredness of the Tribal side of the river will make this a very coveted day among experienced fly fisherman. These desirable fly fishing trips will be auctioned off at the DRC Tightlines Auction & BBQ Dinner on Thursday, September 6, 2007. For more information, about the trips or to register for the auction, contact the DRC office at (541)382-4077 ext. 10 or visit www.deschutesriver.org.

In addition to the fly fishing trips, on that one day, everyone will have an opportunity to experience the entire river from its headwaters in the Cascade Mountains to the mouth at the Columbia River. By partnering with local outfitters Wanderlust Tours, Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe, and Sun Country Tours, the DRC has coordinated a number of opportunities to provide you with a chance to enjoy the river by fishing, rafting, canoeing, or hiking. Some of these activities will have a fee associated with them and others will be free of charge. Because of their commitment to the river and the work of the DRC, these local outfitters are significantly discounting their tour costs as well as donating a portion of the proceeds to the DRC. Our hope is to increase the level of awareness about our natural environment and to inspire the community to give back to this tremendous resource that we have here in Central Oregon – the Deschutes River.

The Deschutes Brewery also strongly believes in the notion of giving back to the source that their beer is named after. To coincide with the Deschutes River Conservancy’s “A Day for the River” event on September 15th, the Deschutes Brewery specially brewed a beer for the organization. “Instream Extra Pale Ale” will be on tap during the whole month of September at the Deschutes Brewery Pub in downtown Bend. Instream Extra Pale Ale will sell for 25 cents more than the price of a regular pint, and for every beer sold, the Deschutes Brewery will match it with 25 cents. Essentially 50 cents for every beer sold will go to the DRC to support the organization’s mission to restore streamflow and improve water quality in the Deschutes Basin. The DRC would like to acknowledge the support of the Deschutes Brewery. We hope that everyone will plan to frequent the Deschutes Brewery Pub often during the month of September.

For more information about the event, visit www.deschutesriver.org or call (541)382-4077 ext.23. The DRC is a 501(c)3 dedicated to restoring streamflow and improving water quality in the Deschutes Basin.