Upper Deschutes

NEW Upper Deschutes Regional Information.

Location: The Upper Deschutes River Watersheds area covers roughly 2.2 million acres and encompasses all of the upland and riparian zone features that drain into the upper Deschutes River. The subbasin’s western border is the crest of the Cascade Range, the southern border extends from the southern ridges that traverse along Odell Lake and the northern boundary in Lake Billy Chinook. The Deschutes River begins at Little Lava Lake, runs from north to south to Wickiup Reservoir and then hooks back to meander north to reach Lake Billy Chinook at river mile 120.

Main tributaries: Snow Creek, Brown’s Creek, the Little Deschutes River, Fall River, and Spring River. The major tributaries to the Deschutes between Bend and Lake Billy Chinook are Squaw and Tumalo Creek.

Watershed’s condition: Rapid population growth is the most challenging issue facing the area. Deschutes County is currently the fastest growing county in Oregon, and the majority of that growth is due to new residents and families moving into the area. This level of growth creates equal challenges for watershed resource managers, school districts, teachers, and city planners as well as for rivers, streams, and fish.

Partners: There are more than 12,000 middle and high school students in the upper Deschutes subbasin. The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council engaged more than 400 students and instructors from ten different private and public schools in its Community Rivers Program in 2004. The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council has strong partnerships with school administrators, teachers, higher education, peer water educator groups like Wolftree, OMSI-Cascade Science School and reSource, as well as local business owners and local government.

For more information about the Healthy Waters Institute in the Upper Deschutes Watershed, or about the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, contact:

Kolleen Yake
Regional Education Coordinator
Oregon Trout/Upper Deschutes Watershed Council
PO Box 1812 Bend, Oregon 97709
541.382.6103 x 33
www.restorethedeschutes.org

Check out the Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition, a program offered at Sisters High School located in our watershed.

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Map: Upper Deschutes Watershed Base Map created by the University of Oregon’s Infographics lab.