Deschutes River Alliance 2021 Community Accomplishments

We are excited that our annual Auction and Gathering will return to an in-person party this year! You will be able to bid for items online and attend the best party of the year. In February, we pivoted to a virtual auction and it was a huge success. 

After nearly a decade (or more) of dedication to preserving and protecting the lower Deschutes River, Greg McMillan stepped down as President of the DRA. He is spending more time enjoying the river that he so clearly loves. Dan Ellis was elected the new President and, like Greg, he has spent a lifetime on the lower Deschutes. 

This fall, the DRA board and staff spent a few days in Maupin charting the future of the Deschutes River Alliance. The DRA staff has been hard at work developing the plans to move the work forward. We will be sharing our strategic plan with supporters in the new year. 

In collaboration with Native Fish Society, we are restoring fish passage to Bakeoven Creek. In August, over 600 goats munched through blackberries and other invasive plants. In November, a volunteer crew began the work of removing the canes and roots. A radio-tag transponder was also installed to monitor the passage of steelhead. We will be doing more work around this in 2022 so stay tuned for volunteer opportunities. 

Our executive director, Sarah Cloud, spent a few days with Senator Hansell and other community members discussing the issues facing the river and potential solutions. The highlight of the trip was a tour of the last 25 miles of the lower Deschutes River with the senator and others. This is the first of many tours we plan with decision makers on the river and Lake Billy Chinook. 

We are hoping to hold more in person events in the coming year, and we hope to see all of you there.