Central Oregon’s Crooked River became the first Oregon river the state has closed to angling specifically due to drought-related low flows that could result in major impacts on fish as well as on efforts to reintroduce salmon and steelhead to the river.
The Ochoco Irrigation District dropped flows downstream of Bowman Dam from about 180 cubic feet per second to just 10 cfs beginning Sept. 14, an 18-fold drop in river flow. The District would normally drop flows in the river this time of year as irrigation demand also drops, but this year the drop is precipitous. The Prineville Reservoir that backs up behind the dam this week is just 10 percent full, the lowest level on record, according to the Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the dam and says that multiple years of drought is the major contributing factor.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife closed the river to angling at least until Oct. 31, the agency said in a news release. It said the closure is due to “ongoing drought and low water” and did not announce a reopening date.
“After several years of persistent drought in Central Oregon, streamflows and reservoirs in this region have reached historic lows,” ODFW said. It explained that during the summer water is released from both Prineville and Ochoco reservoirs into the Crooked River and Ochoco Creek for irrigators downstream. “These releases also serve to maintain adequate flows for resident game fish, including native redband trout and mountain whitefish.” The Ochoco Reservoir is completely empty.
