2022 was filled with accomplishments for the DRA

This past year has been an important year of transition and growth for the Deschutes River Alliance. We have a long list of accomplishments demonstrating much of what we did in 2022. 

Legal and Advocacy

Aquatic Life Rulemaking

For the first time in 20 years, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is updating its aquatic life use maps. These maps determine where and when many critical water quality standards apply. Executive Director Sarah Cloud earned a seat on the Rules Advisory Committee and was an active participant in fighting for the lower Deschutes River. This is an important process and it isn’t over yet. Learn how you can help, and read more about this process in our November 2022 newsletter. 

Oregon Environmental Quality Commission

Deschutes River Alliance continues to demand that the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) mandate DEQ to do its job and enforce the water quality laws of the state of Oregon on the lower Deschutes River. In April, the EQC held a special hearing to learn more about the issues facing the lower Deschutes River. While the EQC will not take action until after the rulemaking process is complete, DRA will continue to have the issue at the forefront. 

Steelhead Framework

In the fall of 2021, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) suddenly closed the lower Deschutes River to steelhead fishing with only four days’ notice. DRA advocated ODFW to abandon its knee-jerk approach in favor of a clear, holistic plan that better protects the region’s salmon and steelhead while distributing the burden equally among fishing interests. In the winter, ODFW released a summer steelhead harvest management framework for rivers upstream from The Dalles Dam, including the Deschutes River. While not perfect, the framework does provide a more transparent process for season-setting and harvest allocation. DRA continues to advocate for the overall health of the lower Deschutes River, and for those who rely on it for their income and recreation.

Financial Aid for Guides

DRA, along with others, worked for this one-time expenditure that provided direct financial support to Oregon-registered private, for-profit, and nonprofit outfitters and guides. This was a much-needed victory for the lower Deschutes River guides and the whole North Central Oregon region. They were hit especially hard in 2021, as we saw the lowest number of returning adult steelhead on record. These numbers prompted ODFW to suddenly close the river to steelhead fishing in the fall of 2021 with only four days’ notice.

Stakeholder Group

The operators of the Pelton Round Butte Hydro Project (PRB) have convened a stakeholder process that includes a group of 20 representatives from guide services, NGOs, and government agencies. DRA is an active member and the lone NGO at the table focused solely on the lower Deschutes and fighting for operational changes to happen now. Read more about this process in the November 2022 newsletter.

Collaboration

In February, a group of NGOs met in North Junction to develop a plan to support the river. DRA is leading this coalition committed to restoring and protecting the lower Deschutes River. In August, Executive Director Sarah Cloud traveled to Gold Hill to participate in a conference organized by the Oregon Council of Flyfishers International. Water advocates from across the state convened to discuss how to best support our rivers. 

Science

Water Quality Report

The 2021 lower Deschutes River Report, our annual report discussing ongoing water quality monitoring, was released in the spring and our findings are consistent with those in past years – the river needs cooler, cleaner water! 

The findings include:

• Drought conditions contributed to less agricultural runoff into the Crooked River and subsequently into Lake Billy Chinook, which had a positive, but temporary, effect on water quality in the lower Deschutes River. This reinforces DRA’s contention that Crooked River water quality desperately needs improvement and that higher quality water passed downstream into the lower Deschutes River results in improved ecological conditions. 

• DRA’s science showed again this summer that the current operation of the SWW Tower intentionally warms the lower Deschutes River during critical spawning and incubation periods for resident trout and steelhead.

• The rapid increase of bottom draw at the SWW Tower can provide relief to fish and aquatic life by temporarily cooling the lower Deschutes River during periods of extremely high air temperatures.

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Study

Led by board member Rick Hafele, the DRA science team twice collected macroinvertebrate samples, following DEQ protocols, from two locations in the lower Deschutes River. DRA is the only entity continuing to study the effects of tower operations on aquatic invertebrates. The samples are being analyzed by a lab in Corvallis, and the report will be available in the winter. Read more in the November 2022 newsletter.

Continuous monitoring of water quality in the lower Deschutes River has been, and will continue to be, the primary goal of the DRA science team. The DRA continued collecting and analyzing data in 2022 and a report will be released in the spring of 2023. The DRA stands firmly by its science to uphold the voice of the river and to prevent the degradation of water quality standards established to protect aquatic life.

Community

Auction

We held an auction in February and it was a huge success. We had so much fun that we are doing it again this year on Saturday, Feb. 25 in Portland. Please join us!

Bend Halloween Bash

The Deschutes River Alliance Halloween Bash was held Friday, October 28 at Silver Moon Brewery in Bend. The event was a great opportunity to improve awareness in the Bend area. We had a great time making new friends, seeing old friends and talking about our work on the lower Deschutes River. Several lucky people took home great raffle prizes including the Golden Ticket winners, Jason Schreiber, who won the weekend at Maupin and guided fishing trip, and Kim Perkins who won the Patagonia waders. Special thanks to Patagonia, Silver Moon Brewing, Simms Fishing Products, Orvis, LOGECamps, Scientific Anglers, Cheeky Fishing, Smith Optics, Fishpond, Wingo Outdoors, Raging River Sales, and RE/MAX Key Properties.

Staff

2022 saw new additions to the DRA staff. Peter Anderson joined us in August to work on development. Peter has been rafting the lower Deschutes for as long as he can remember and spends as many days on the river as possible each summer. Michole Jensen joined us in October to work on our communications. A native of Heppner, Oregon, Michole is an avid angler and considers the lower Deschutes to be his home waters. 

Deschutes River Alliance: Cooler, cleaner H2O for the lower Deschutes River. 

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