Strong Show of Support for the LDR at the April EQC Meeting

Thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to attend the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) hearing on the Deschutes Basin yesterday. And a special thank you to the folks who testified and shared their first-hand perspectives on current river conditions. Your passion and love of the river was loud and clear. We hope that DEQ, ODFW, PGE, and the Commissioners keep your passion in the front of their minds moving forward. 

Finally, the issues facing the lower Deschutes are getting the attention that they deserve after years of being overlooked. The DRA views the EQC dedicating so much time to the Deschutes Basin during the April EQC meeting as a step forward. We will continue our work and make sure that this meeting was not the end of that attention.

The DRA will continue to demand DEQ’s full enforcement of both Oregon’s water quality laws and the Pelton Round Butte (PRB) Project’s operational requirements. As we told the EQC, these laws and mutually agreed-to requirements must be fully enforced. When PRB operations have met those expected standards, conditions in the lower Deschutes immediately and significantly improved. Those hopeful moments remind us that when the lower Deschutes is supported, it can return to its previous, internationally-treasured conditions. Our work will not stop until the lower Deschutes is restored and protected so that future generations can enjoy this magnificent river for decades to come.

During the hearing, DEQ seemed to signal that the lower Deschutes will continue to receive agency and commission attention. DEQ briefly mentioned that the EQC could soon take up the long-delayed Deschutes Basin Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL. These TMDLs are plans that detail the actions needed to bring a polluted waterbody back into compliance with water quality standards. DRA’s ongoing advocacy has brought this issue to the front, and we will continue to push for this restoration process to finally start in the LDR after more than two decades of inaction.

Thank you again to all of our supporters. We will keep you updated on all the regulatory happenings in the lower Deschutes River. Keep an eye on our emails, social media, and here on our blog for more information.