Drought, migrating fish may have contributed to Deschutes fish stranding

The official response from the ODFW regarding a recent Deschutes fish kill and stranding says that this is a unique situation based on a, "suite of unusual conditions."

We're hearing that this has been occurring annually.

LINK

“I couldn't tell you why we saw it this year and not other years"

The Bend Bulletin picks up on the Deschutes fish kill.

Hefting buckets, nets and an aerator, Kim Brannock and her family set out Friday morning to help stranded fish in a dwindling pool in a dry channel of the Deschutes River close to Bend.

Deschutes Fish Kill Update

An update on yesterday's grim report from the Deschutes.

We went to the river at 8:00 this morning, there were 4 of us with buckets and nets, when we arrived at the pool it had gone down probably another 12" over night and was cast over partially with ice and a water temp of 33-34 degrees.  Many of the fish from last night were already dead, but the pool was still teaming with life.  As we started to put fish into buckets we realized that the pool had far more than 200 fish in it.  The ODFW showed up about 1 hour after we arrived with more nets and more buckets, and with their added help we estimated that we might have pulled somewhere around 500 fish out of that pool and walked them up the trail about 1/4 mile to release them into the main channel of the Deschutes.

This water is a decent sized side channel of the Deschutes that is parted by lava flow at Lava Island Access point and runs from there down to the wetlands merging back with the Deschutes, just above Meadow. The wetlands are almost completely dry too, displacing a huge riparian zone as well.  his is outside of town heading towards Bachelor.

ODFW expressed that this happens every year, but when the water table is low it is especially bad because the river dries up completely. This is one area with a problem but there are others too from what they expressed. It seems like the water rights need some negotiating, when water tables are down everyone must conserve, not shut down the water status quo without thought to how the wildlife might be affected. Bummer, maybe I'm just naïve, but it seems like something is way out of balance here.

Throughout that river bed there are definitely 1000's of dead trout, that if the community had known what was going on, I'm convinced many would have come out to help get these fish out, it's a shame.

Take Action - Deschutes Fish Kill

Based on the following images and eyewitness report, there is something seriously wrong with the flows on the Deschutes. 

I've been watching the Deschutes River levels drop drastically over the last couple weeks, tonight during my trail run a healthy side channel along the Deschutes River Trail was completely drained of water.  There were in just one small section probably 1000 or more dead trout ( Browns, native Red Sided, and Rainbows, some White Fish, lots of sculpin still gasping for breath, crawfish, stone fly nymphs wondering around). It was astonishing to me that such a precious waterway couldd be managed in such a way for this to happen.  I came upon one pool that is full of trout that gathered together as the water in there pool looked to just a few weeks ago nearly 8 feet higher.  The large fish in the pool have already succumbed, but it's still teaming with life maybe 200 or more 4-6" trout and countless tiny guys.

Please forward a link to this post to the ODFW @ odfw.info@state.or.us and demand an explanation.

With a drinkability that compares to session ales

Deschutes Brewery honors its namesake Central Oregon river with a brand-new, year-round beer dubbed Deschutes River Ale. The new brew, which underwent several experimental batches at the brewery’s pubs over the past few months, will hit shelves in the spring of 2013.

The beer will be released in six-packs and draft to craft beer fans across the western United States and Canada.

LINK (via: Oregon Live)

Deschutes River Recordings - Eric Earley

In the second Deschutes River Recording, Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper adds a rough-hewn edge to "Up on Cripple Creek." It's another river song, sung riverside, to benefit the Deschutes River Conservancy.

Free downloads available at HERE.