Crooked River Outlook: What to Expect for Flows in 2025–2026

Crooked River Outlook: What toExpect for Flows in 2025–2026

The Crooked Riversaw a year of sharp contrasts in 2025—big snowmelt inflows early on, followedby an exceptionally dry spring and summer. Reservoir operations played acritical role in sustaining flows through the dry season, and the outlook forfall, winter, and into 2026 is steady.

Flows Through Fall and Winter

Each year, the Bureau of Reclamation develops a CrookedRiver release schedule in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries, as required under the Crooked River Collaborative WaterSecurity and Jobs Act. Additional coordination may involve ODFW, theConfederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and other basin partners, particularly when planning pulse flows to support fish migration.

For 2025–2026, the plan calls for:

• Through October 14: flows managed at around 80 cubic feet per second (cfs)
• October 15–April 14, 2026: flows maintained at about 100 cfs.
• Winter releases may at times be higher if additional water is needed for flood control.

This process is designed to provide a stable baseline for fish, wildlife, and downstream communities while keeping flexibility to adapt to changing conditions.

Reservoir Operations Last Summer

With natural inflows nearly absent this past summer, flows in the Crooked River came almost entirely from managed reservoir releases. In early August, Prineville Reservoir was releasing about 275 cfs while receiving only ~3 cfs of inflow, and Ochoco Reservoir was releasing about 89 cfs with no inflow.

While these operations helped sustain the river through dry months, much of this water was also diverted for irrigation just a few miles downstream. Reclamation releases for fish and wildlife and instream leases sustained some flow through the Prineville reach, and a minimum flow agreement between DRC and North UnitIrrigation District maintained a minimum of 62 cfs in the river reach flowing through Smith Rock State Park The balance between keeping water in the river and meeting agricultural demand remains one of the defining challenges in the basin.

A Strong Carryover Into 2026

Despite an extremely dry spring, with April–July precipitation at only 29% of average, both reservoirs are expected to finish the year in good shape:

• Prineville with near-normal carryover.
• Ochoco with above-normal carryover.

This positions theCrooked River for relatively stable flows through winter and a stronger start to the 2026 irrigation season than in recent drought years.

Balancing Fish and Flow Needs

It is important to note that 80 cfs is not a biological minimum but a management compromise.Scientific recommendations often call for higher flows to better support steelhead, Chinook, and other native fish. The 2025–2026 flow plan reflects the need to balance ecological goals with water supply realities, irrigation demand, and long-term storage. Meanwhile, DRC continues to work with partners on additional flow restoration projects, including an annual instream leasing program and the McKay Creek Water Rights Switch, which will increase flows into the Crooked River in 2027.