Steelhead return to the Deschutes in record numbers

A record number of adult steelhead returned to the Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project on the Deschutes River during the 2024-25 migration season, which wraps up this month. With more than 950 fish having passed upstream of Round Butte Dam, the Upper Deschutes Basin is now home to more steelhead than at any time since the 1960s.

Background

In 2010, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and PGE launched a bold effort to restore ocean-going salmon and steelhead to the Deschutes River after more than 50 years without upstream passage. Scientific modeling completed in the 1990s set a benchmark of 955 adult steelhead returning each year based on available fish habitat.

“While the return of steelhead to the watershed marks a significant milestone, the journey toward full restoration continues,” says Austin Smith Jr., natural resources manager for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. “The Tribes remain committed to ongoing conservation efforts, adaptive management and education.”

This Selective Water Withdrawal facility helps guide fish around three dams and toward the ocean.

Of the 950 adult steelhead released upstream this season, 675 originated in the Upper Deschutes, Crooked and Metolius rivers and migrated out as juveniles through the fish collection facility at Pelton Round Butte. As part of PGE's fish passage program, young fish are collected in Lake Billy Chinook at the Selective Water Withdrawal facility — a structure that helps safely guide fish around three dams and toward the ocean. The SWW also plays a key role in improving water temperature and river conditions in the Lower Deschutes.

A remarkable journey

“We're excited to welcome these steelhead back to the Upper Deschutes Basin. Their journey is remarkable,” says Megan Hill, senior manager of Environmental Services at PGE. “Most passed through the SWW, traveled 100 miles down the Deschutes to the Columbia River, then another 200 miles past Bonneville Dam to reach the ocean. After about two years at sea, they made the 300-mile journey back. This year's run highlights the power of strong ocean conditions combined with collaborative fish restoration efforts in Oregon.”

The majority of this year's returning steelhead migrated out in 2022 — a record-breaking year for juvenile collection. Since 2010, the Tribes and PGE have enhanced their fish reintroduction program through science-based strategies including:

• A guidance net that steers fish toward the collection area

• A stress-relief pond that helps fish recover after handling

• Smolt acclimation, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which holds young fish in-stream to imprint on the river before ocean migration

An adult steelhead with a radio tag. This tracking device allows biologists to monitor the movement of fish upstream.

Because more than two-thirds of a steelhead's life is spent in the Pacific Ocean, favorable ocean conditions also likely contributed to higher survival and return rates.

In addition to the 675 reintroduction-program fish, 275 hatchery-origin steelhead from the Deschutes River were released upstream this year. These fish, referred to as excess broodstock, are screened for disease, monitored after release and are genetically identical to wild-origin steelhead from the upper basin. This approach supports both conservation and long-term sustainability.

Powerful cycle of return

Biologists will continue to monitor upstream steelhead released using radio tracking technology, collecting data on fish movement and spawning activity. A subset of returning adults — known as kelts — will even attempt a second migration to the ocean through the SWW. Others will remain in the Upper Deschutes Basin to spawn in gravel nests, called redds, which have already been discovered in the region. In a few years, their offspring will begin their own downstream journey to the ocean, continuing this powerful cycle of return.