Watch Party: State of the Lower Deschutes
Miss the State of the LDR show last night? Watch it on YouTube. See link below.
Selective Water Withdrawal-derived water quality troubles persist
The science team at the Deschutes River Alliance has delivered a scintillating status report on the state of the lower Deschutes River. The 75 minute-long presentation is worth every minute of viewing, and you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/kxamZiLP8dA.
The highlights:
SWW Tower operations intentionally warm the lower Deschutes River during critical spawning, incubation and early rearing periods for resident trout, bull trout, and steelhead.
Relative to pre-SWW Tower operations, the cooling during the fall caused by the current operations is disproportionate to the warming that occurs during the rest of the year.
Excess nutrients in surface water released from Lake Billy Chinook continues to be the primary contributor to the declining health of the lower Deschutes River and is largely influenced by high nitrogen inputs from the Crooked River.
High pH levels continued to exceed Oregon water quality standards throughout the monitoring period in 2024 but showed an immediate improvement with increased bottom-draw.
Increasing bottom draw from the SWW Tower is the most effective, immediate, and straightforward solution to addressing the challenges facing the lower Deschutes River now, and in the decades ahead.
Tower Myths, Imperiled fish
DRA Water Quality Coordinator Hannah Camel delivered a cogent, concise exegesis on water quality issues stemming from the Selective Water Withdrawal Tower. She was followed by Rick Hafele, who deftly dispatched some of the myths about the SWW. Bringing it home was Steve Pribyl, who discussed the risks to fish populations due to the Tower-derived decline in water quality.
For anyone curious about what’s really happening to the lower Deschutes, our experts have delivered an annual exam that should leave you well-informed and eager to enlist in the DRA’s campaign to bring cooler, cleaner water back to the river.
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