When we use our voices to advocate for thoughtful improvements to managing water in our region, we can preserve Central Oregon’s most precious resource and enjoy a sustainable way of life.
To support Central Oregon LandWatch’s water work, make a contribution today.
In the first month of the new administration, environmental advocates have faced a maelstrom of threats to the foundations of environmental protection and community well-being.
At LandWatch, we are determined to stay focused on the positive changes we can affect. We are here to defend the land and water of Central Oregon and ensure a livable future for all its residents — and we won’t settle for anything less.
Today, the National Marine Fisheries Service’s “non-essential experimental population” (NEP) designation for Upper Deschutes Basin steelhead expires — meaning all steelhead above the Pelton Round Butte dams are now officially listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Join us as we delve into the intersectional intricacies of the United States’ most famous wildlife conservation law and Central Oregon’s prevailing framework for (theoretically) balancing the needs of water users and threatened species to better understand a path toward meaningful steelhead habitat restoration and population recovery in the Upper Deschutes Basin.
Responses to our joint survey of Central Oregon Irrigation District patrons clearly show that local irrigators are eager to improve irrigation system efficiencies and reduce water waste.
As climate change and drought continue to place pressure on water resources in Central Oregon, an integrated approach to solving water scarcity issues is needed; a concerted effort to pipe private laterals must be part of the solution.
In less than a century, the impacts of irrigation, hydropower projects, and other human activities throughout the Deschutes Basin have disrupted the natural water systems and environmental conditions that sustained abundant steelhead populations for millennia.
In order to take steps toward habitat recovery, it is important to understand how we’ve fundamentally changed these waterways.
To meet existing and future water needs, the Basin’s senior irrigation districts need to ramp up financial incentive programs to conserve more water, in concert with the piping of private laterals.
The steelhead trout is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic species of fish.
In this series, we’re exploring the history of steelhead in the Deschutes Basin, the impacts irrigation and development have had on this species and their habitat, the actions water managers and regulators are proposing to address threats to this species, and whether they go far enough to restore the critical habitat this iconic species needs and deserves.
Addressing water shortages in the Deschutes Basin requires a comprehensive Water Management Plan that integrates infrastructure improvements and market-based incentives to efficiently allocate water for both agricultural and environmental needs.
The Deschutes Basin Water Collaborative, through the state’s Place-Based Planning process, is developing this plan to ensure balanced water distribution and overcome existing systemic issues, emphasizing the need for immediate and coordinated action.
Most of the Deschutes River Basin’s water is used for irrigation and waste happens at every step in the process. It is time for irrigation districts to step up and truly embrace reform at the local level.
What do we want Deschutes County to look like in 20 years? The County is asking for your input on its draft update to the Comprehensive Plan.
It’s clear there is an appetite amongst irrigators for solutions to wasteful irrigation practices, improved irrigation infrastructure, and policy reform to allow easier reallocation of water to those who need it the most.
It is time to focus on solutions to water waste to ensure that both our frogs and our farmers get the water they need - and time is of the essence as climate change tightens its grip.
Take the survey by June 15th and help shape a water strategy that prioritizes stronger protections for instream flows and improved management of groundwater.
What’s in the Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Plan? We need more from the draft plan. Take action by May 1 and ask U.S. Fish and Wildlife for specific and tangible conservation actions.
It doesn’t take an expert to see the growing conflict over the scarcity of water supplies in Central Oregon, intensified by drought and the impacts of climate change. But the Oregon spotted frog is not to blame for our water woes, nor are the farmers whose livelihood depends on water for crops.
Earlier this month, Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced an updated version of the River Democracy Act.
OWRD recognizes there is an issue with over-allocation of groundwater resources. Right now, they are seeking our input on how to move forward and shape a groundwater permitting system that supports the quality of our aquifers while also serving the senior water rights holders and current domestic well uses in each basin.
This past year, Central Oregon saw the launch of the Deschutes Water Bank Pilot Program. This program is an innovative, voluntary, and market-based solution to addressing water shortages in the Deschutes Basin.
Central Oregon recently made national headlines when The Washington Post hailed local water infrastructure projects as “the future of the American West.” Indeed, improving the efficiency of our century-old water infrastructure is key to ushering in a modern era of water management–but it’s far from a panacea.
Right now, Oregon has the chance to designate the Metolius River as an Outstanding Resource Water.
Oregon has the most miles of “impaired” waterways nationwide according to a recent report from The Environmental Integrity Project.
This needs to be our last season of water scarcity. It’s time for reform. First, Oregon needs to modify how “beneficial use” of water is defined, monitored, and regulated to realign water priorities to meet 21st-century needs.
Groundwater in Central Oregon is declining. But it should be an infinite resource. What’s really going on?
At the places where rivers begin and end, we find the ephemeral streams and tributaries that connect a diverse network of waterways.
The ongoing drought remains at the forefront of our minds as summer draws to a close. Isn’t it time to work together to change our water policies and eliminate wasteful practices? We all stand to benefit.
The Deschutes was once a very stable river. Before Wickiup Dam was completed in 1949, the Deschutes River exhibited very consistent seasonal flows. It’s common for most rivers to experience high flows with the onset of spring rains and melting snow and very low flows by the end of the summer.
During this time of year, you can visit the Deschutes twice on the same day and see two very different rivers. On Saturday, May 1, we took a trip to Benham Falls and caught the river just south of Bend.
This river holds the soul of Central Oregon. Photos still take our breath away. But, if you look closely towards the banks, you can see a river in dire want of restoration. The Deschutes still needs our help.
On February 3, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced the River Democracy Act to Congress. This bill, the most extensive Wild and Scenic Rivers effort in U.S. history, would add 4,702 miles of Oregon rivers and streams to the national Wild and Scenic Rivers system.
The Oregon spotted frog highlights where the Habitat Conservation Plan falls short.
The Northern spotted owl may be the most controversial animal in the Pacific Northwest. The owl was pushed into the national spotlight in the early 1990s…
