PGE and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs host 30th annual public event for Deschutes River stakeholders

When the first Pelton Round Butte Fisheries Workshop was held in the summer of 1995, just 29 people were invited. The high temperature was 86 degrees, and the population of Bend, Oregon was a little over 30,000 people. TLC’s “Waterfalls” was the song of the summer.

30 years later, this annual event – hosted by Portland General Electric and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs – is still going strong. On July 18, 2024, 86 people showed up on a 93-degree day in Bend (whose population has more than tripled!) to hear the latest updates on Deschutes River fish and wildlife.

Workshop attendees gathered at OSU Cascades in Bend, OR to hear the latest updates from biologists, environmental scientists and restoration leaders.

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Presentations covered a range of topics, from fish population trends to habitat improvement projects, to the threat of invasive zebra mussels.

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“Despite the effects of climate change and the growth in Central Oregon, which can cause challenges, there’s a lot to celebrate,” said Megan Hill, manager of environmental science at PGE’s hydropower projects.

Environmental advocates, outdoor enthusiasts, and representatives from federal, Tribal, and state agencies attend the workshop each year to watch presentations from fish biologists, habitat ecologists and other experts.

“The Fisheries Workshop is a unique opportunity to bring together a diverse group of people passionate about the Deschutes, to promote mutual learning and connection,” said Hill. “It allows our biologists to share their research with the public and learn from other agencies and NGOs involved in basin restoration. This collaboration helps PGE and CTWS improve our fisheries program.”

“Good communication, at workshops such as this, helps with good working relationships,” added Robert A. Brunoe, secretary treasurer and CEO of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. “Our neighbors are not going anywhere and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are not going anywhere also, so it is in the best interest for everyone to work together. When we do, we can accomplish great things to address climate change and ensure we have clean water for our communities, fish and wildlife habitat and enough of that water now and into the future."

Since the 1990s, when PGE and CTWs first started hosting the workshop, fish habitat in the upper Deschutes Basin has improved. Whychus Creek, an important tributary to the Deschutes, has more water flowing through it, several key organizations – including the Deschutes Land Trust and Deschutes River Conservancy – formed to protect and restore habitat in the river, and PGE and the Tribes have contributed $26 million to fish and water conservation.

On top of these habitat enhancements, salmon and steelhead are now spawning and reproducing upstream of Round Butte Dam – something that hadn’t happened since before the hydropower complex was constructed in the 1960s!

“While we’ve come a long way and are excited to have these fish back in their historical habitats upstream of the project, there is still a lot of work to do to reach the goals of sustainable and harvestable runs of these fish,” said Hill, kicking off the 2024 workshop to a room full of engaged stakeholders. “And that’s the purpose of today – to share information about our studies and learn from each other, in an effort to improve these fish runs for generations to come.”

Presentations from the 2024 workshop can be viewed on PGE’s Deschutes Updates webpage.

Whychus Canyon Preserve, before, during and after restoration (2015 -- 2019). This restoration project, funded by PGE and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, improved habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in Whychus Creek, an important waterway. Photos courtesy of the Deschutes Land Trust.

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