Local angler and blogger, Yancy Lind weighs the costs and benefits of asking the public to fund piping of Tumalo Irrigation District's canals in this Guest Column that was published in The Bulletin on May 15, 2018.

Tumalo Creek provides a peaceful refuge, outdoor recreation opportunities and crystal-clear cold water to the Middle Deschutes River. Although it is known as one of Central Oregon’s iconic gems, the Bend City Council voted to build a $60+ million water project to take more water from the creek.
 

A new study, released May 10, 2017, finds that when it comes to allocating water from the Upper Deschutes River for irrigation purposes, less is more.  

LandWatch argued against the County’s proposal at the Land Use Board of Appeals because it is a one-size-fits-all solution that may make any problem worse. 

Walk down into the scenic lower Whychus Creek Canyon to Alder Springs and then on to the confluence of the creek with the thundering Deschutes River below a towering wedge of rimrock on this premier Central Oregon hike. 

Hosted by the Bend Youth Brigade Paddle Team, this event is for people - especially young people - who love to kayak, SUP, raft, or float on the river and want to do their part to help its recovery. 
 

Sign up to hike with us Sunday, June 12th, 2016.

Making a judge decide what is right and wrong for the river is not fair to her; the different government agencies need to do their mandated jobs.

Once home to some of North America’s finest trout fishing, the Upper Deschutes is now treated with little more consideration than an irrigation ditch.

Flows in the Upper Deschutes become a relative trickle in the winter. They get as low as 20 cubic feet per second. People may disagree about what exactly would be a “healthy” flow. Nobody looks at 20 cfs and cheers. Ten times that would be a start

More than a century ago, private capitalists, including Alexander Drake, built canals in Central Oregon to attract settlers with the promise of irrigation for farming

Three factors combined to cause the Deschutes River’s low flow as it passes through the city: slight releases from Wickiup Reservoir, nearly half average flow from the Little Deschutes River and temporary irrigation diversions, or “stock runs.”

We learned how current practices are causing the Upper Deschutes River to be dewatered in the winter months and flooded during the irrigation season.

he Deschutes River is many things: it's home to fish and wildlife, it drives our economy, it's the source of water for agriculture, it's a place for recreation..

nce considered a model for river health, today the Deschutes is in trouble. Learn more about our work to restore the Deschutes here.