During a July 2017 multi-day river trip on the Lower Deschutes River, around the Olive Grove Camp, a thick haze started rolling in. That was day two. By the time we reached the takeout on day three, the crew was choking on particulate matter. This was pre-COVID and we opted to wear then-rare masks. On the evening drive back home, wildfires were raging Mad-Max style along the highway. Although it made for a pretty sunset, the cost is not reflective of the beauty. Among the casualties: Thousands of acres of forests, weeks of no play for outdoor recreationalists and no revenues for any guiding or outdoor-based businesses.
Deschutes River Conservancy awarded $2.6 million for piping, on-farm water efficiency projects
Jess Kraft/Deschutes River Conservancy
The Deschutes River Conservancy says increased water equity among farmers will allow for better balance in the basin and healthier flows in the Deschutes River and its tributaries
Will pipe smaller, lateral canals, to help restore river flows
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) The Deschutes River Conservancy said Friday it will be awarded $2.6 million in federal funds to implement water conservation projects within the Central Oregon Irrigation District to reduce water demands and restore flows in the Upper Deschutes River.
Here s the DRC s announcement news release, in full:
PENDLETON â One month beyond the winter solstice, Oregonâs mountain ranges are all below normal for annual snowpack averages.
A look at USDA Natural Resource Conservation District Snotel sites that track snowfall and snow water equivalent from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 each year show more detailed reports of regional precipitation and snowpack.
The Umatilla, Walla Walla and Willow river basins are currently measuring 85% of the annual snowpack average, as of Wednesday, Jan. 27.
The Emigrant Springs Snotel on Mount Emily, at an elevation of 3,800 feet, started recording the first measurable precipitation of the water year Nov. 8, 2020. As of Jan. 27, 13.6 total inches have fallen, the snow depth is currently 6 inches and the snow water equivalent is 1.3 inches, 23% of the average.
PORTLAND â Heading into 2021, Oregonâs snowpack and overall precipitation levels are faring much better than they were a year ago, though there is still room for improvement as river basins across the state rebound from drought.
As of Dec. 30, snowpack is 80% of average for the water year that began Oct. 1, and precipitation is 85% of average. That compares to 45% of average snowpack and 49% of average precipitation at the same time last year.
Scott Oviatt, snow survey supervisor for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Portland, said parts of southwest and central Oregon remain in severe to extreme drought, and the coming months will be crucial for replenishing streams and reservoirs.