Upper Deschutes Basin Study, CPN Region

Button Links for Reclamation's Basin Study Program, The Basin Study Work Group and the Meetings Notes

How it all started
More than 100 years ago, federal and state policies encouraged the settlement of Central Oregon’s high desert by facilitating access to land and irrigation water. This water helped support the diverse agriculture that has been so important in the region. However, unintended consequences of this water development left many rivers and streams with low or altered flows.

As the region grew, the Deschutes Basin experienced increased demand for water for people, cities, farmers, and fish and wild life. For the last two decades, irrigation districts, agencies, and conservation groups have worked together to address these issues.

A collaborative process
In 2014, a diverse group of 40 stakeholders -- the Basin Study Work Group – got together to work on the Upper Deschutes Basin Study. The $1.5 million Study is funded by the Bureau of Reclamation and the State of Oregon. The group has successfully co-managed the Study throughout its three-year duration -- a demonstration of the commitment to collaboration in the Deschutes Basin.

What have we learned?
The Study looked at a wide variety of water supply tools - all of which have opportunities and barriers. While the Study does not recommend any particular plan or project, it provides a wealth of information to help inform future water management in the Basin.

Water conservation methods such as piping district canals and upgrading on-farm infrastructure can increase irrigation efficiency and help restore flows in the Deschutes. Market-based approaches and potential storage concepts can also contribute to water management goals in the basin. In the Upper Deschutes River, lower summer flows and higher winter flows tend to benefit riparian vegetation, redband trout, and Oregon spotted frog. The Upper Deschutes Basin Study is anticipated to be completed in late 2018. A strategic approach to combining water supply tools could benefit any future implementation.

Please send questions, comments, and suggestions to bor-pnr-udbasinstudy@usbr.gov.

Upper Deschutes Basin Study Documents
10/2019	Upper Deschutes River Basin Study, Water for Agriculture, Rivers, Cities PDF 6.40 mb
10/2017	Oregon Spotted Frog and Deschutes Redband Trout Habitat Modeling and Riparian Analysis at Two Sites on the Upper Deschutes River PDF 28.26 mb
07/2017	Crooked River - Diversion Gaging Memo Technical Memorandum PDF 862 kb
01/2017	Task 6 - Groundwater Mitigation under the Deschutes Basin Groundwater Mitigation Program; A Summary of Projected Supply and Demand PDF 5.30 mb
12/2016	Upper Crooked River Basin - SNOTEL Memo PDF 698 kb
10/2016	Task 2, Part 2 - Water Right, Legal & Policy Opportunities and Impediments for Stored Water, Forebearance, Instream Flow Protection and Mitigation PDF 399 kb
06/2016	Task 5 - Water Right Opportunities and Impediments for New or Expanded Reservoir Storage PDF 4.04 mb
07/2016	Basin Study Program Semi-Annual Basin Study Status Report PDF 514 kb
02/2016	Basin Study Program Semi-Annual Basin Study Status Report PDF 172 kb
10/2015	Upper Deschutes River Basin Study Project Management Plan PDF 313 kb
07/2015	Basin Study Program Semi-Annual Basin Study Status Report PDF 33 kb
04/2015	Memorandum of Agreement / Plan of Study PDF 1.60 mb
01/2015	Basin Study Program Semi-Annual Basin Study Status Report PDF 140 kb
12/2014	Upper Deschutes River Basin Study Factsheet PDF 140 kb