New Study: Deschutes River

I'm willing to concede that the increased flow at the top of LBC is good for salmon smolts. That makes sense. I'm just tired of the tower proponents acting like it brings the river almost back to it's natural state. The Deschutes and the Crooked get backed up behind reservoirs, drawn for irrigation and dump extra nutrients into LBC. This is not what the river could have been like a couple hundred years ago. Historically, I'm sure those rivers were much much cooler and didn't have any farm runoff in them. The lower Deschutes used to be a sanctuary without the tower, but it is no longer. The landscape has been forever altered, it's not going back unless Wickiup, Crane Prarie, Prineville and irrigation withdrawal are gone.

I get that pulling out Pelton/Round Butte is a non-starter currently, and this tower is the way to keep the dam in. Is it possible to increase the cold water % in the summer just enough so that it doesn't get 70+ degrees? I don't mean drop the temp to 55° in August, but maybe just enough to keep it below 67°? That way they still get their "natural" flow regime, but the water is not as hot.
 
1. The Deschutes river is not in it's natural state, it has many dams it needs to not be run like it's original state..

2. Another instance of science lagging years behind common sense
 
'Warm Springs refused comment".
The Warm Springs tribe was paid $47.3 million in 2023 and $37.2 million in 2024.
Money will always trump actual conservation.
 
I haven't followed this issue in years but I thought they figured this out years ago. Am I crazy?
Prior to the installation of the tower, the dam released only cooler water from the bottom of the reservoir.
 
Skagittarius said:
I haven't followed this issue in years but I thought they figured this out years ago. Am I crazy?
Prior to the installation of the tower, the dam released only cooler water from the bottom of the reservoir.
Click to expand...
It was supposed be at 100% cold water releases, but they are finding it is only operating at about 60%. That is what is puzzling the “experts”.
 
I'd encourage everyone to support the Deschutes River Alliance. They do some amazing citizen science in support of their advocacy.

DerekWhipple said:
I'm willing to concede that the increased flow at the top of LBC is good for salmon smolts. That makes sense. I'm just tired of the tower proponents acting like it brings the river almost back to it's natural state. The Deschutes and the Crooked get backed up behind reservoirs, drawn for irrigation and dump extra nutrients into LBC. This is not what the river could have been like a couple hundred years ago. Historically, I'm sure those rivers were much much cooler and didn't have any farm runoff in them. The lower Deschutes used to be a sanctuary without the tower, but it is no longer. The landscape has been forever altered, it's not going back unless Wickiup, Crane Prarie, Prineville and irrigation withdrawal are gone.

I get that pulling out Pelton/Round Butte is a non-starter currently, and this tower is the way to keep the dam in. Is it possible to increase the cold water % in the summer just enough so that it doesn't get 70+ degrees? I don't mean drop the temp to 55° in August, but maybe just enough to keep it below 67°? That way they still get their "natural" flow regime, but the water is not as hot.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I'm willing to concede it, because I remember something about the day/night flow regimes not matching the day/night timing for smolt outmigration. I'm open to correction. I agree with everything else you've said. When we've talked to the dam biologists, they said that they are constrained by the pre-agreed adaptive management plan as well as the tower can't provide 100% bottom draw.

FinLuver said:
It was supposed be at 100% cold water releases, but they are finding it is only operating at about 60%. That is what is puzzling the “experts”.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't call it puzzling, I'd call it misleading and infuriating because they knew that they could only go up to a max of 60% bottom draw.
 
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