KBND - Coalition Fights for Consistent River Flows

This article was published on: 04/25/16 12:00 AM

BEND, OR — The Coalition For the Deschutes feels the region could do more to restore consistent flows to the Upper Deschutes River Basin. It’s believed varying water flows harm the threatened spotted frog.

Gail Snyder is board president of the group. She recently told The Source Weekly’s Brian Jennings, “There’s enough water, we can have water for fish and farms and families. We need short-term, immediate solutions to resolve the problem with the extreme high and low flows that are impacting the river ecology; we need some intermediary solutions and we need some longer term.”

The Coalition has worked for more than 30 years to restore flows and would like to see fewer irrigation swings from the Wickiup Dam that can lead to both high and low river flows. Snyder believes local irrigation districts are ready to act. “I do think they’re willing to cooperate. I think they need the public to both support them and give them a good nudge, and say, ‘guys, we know that change is hard, but it’s time. This is everybody’s river. If we want a sustainable future for all of us, then we have to change.'”