Letter to the Editor

The Pelton Round Butte project, a hydropower facility on the Deschutes River co-owned by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Portland General Electric, was the subject of two recent stories from Willamette Week and the Oregon Journalism Project. In addition to producing emissions-free energy for Oregonians, the project is the site of an ambitious effort to restore fish runs to the Deschutes River Basin.

In this effort, the Tribes and PGE welcome the ongoing, productive participation of many stakeholders in Central Oregon, including environmental organizations, regulatory agencies, scientists and anglers. Most notably, the Pelton Round Butte Fish Committee, a group comprised of ten natural resource agencies and conservation organizations, is charged with developing science-based, basin-wide strategies for fish and water quality.

In contrast, special interest groups like the Deschutes River Alliance have largely focused on the last 100 miles of a broader, complex ecosystem. This scope prioritizes sport fishing opportunities while dismissing Tribal sovereign interests, jeopardizing progress in long-term efforts to reintroduce salmon and steelhead to a reconnected Deschutes River Basin. DRA continues to advocate for management changes that have already been evaluated by the Fish Committee, independent water quality scientists, and a group of Lower Deschutes River stakeholders. Time and again, these scientific evaluations found that DRA’s proposals would not result in favorable outcomes for fish and water quality.

PGE and the Tribes continue to assess the ever-growing body of scientific data collected by the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Warm Springs Branch of Natural Resources, OSU, independent scientists, and angler reports on the Lower Deschutes River. We welcome additional, peer-reviewed science that considers basin-wide impacts.

The existing body of research leads us to a more optimistic assessment of the river’s health. Today, there are over 900 adult steelhead spawning in their historic habitat in the Upper Deschutes Basin. All of these fish migrated successfully through the Lower Deschutes as both juveniles and adults. Scientific modeling completed during the re-licensing of the Pelton Round Butte project established an annual goal of 955 steelhead adults upstream, based on the fish habitat availability upstream. 900 fish represents significant progress toward that long-term target. Fall Chinook numbers have doubled since the SWW began operations, and catch rates for redband trout remain consistently high.

The Deschutes River ecosystem, like all rivers in the Northwest, also faces challenges from climate change, fluctuating ocean conditions, growing human populations, and recreational use. We need to diligently study and manage these changes to ensure the river continues to support fish and our communities – both upstream and downstream of the dams – for generations to come.

PGE and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs remain committed to working with our regulators, partners, and all who seek basin-wide solutions for the Deschutes. Achieving these solutions requires collaboration, a commitment to conducting research and following what the science shows us, and especially respect for the Tribes who have long-standing ecological knowledge of these systems.

We encourage all who care about the Deschutes to get the facts: portlandgeneral.com/healthydeschutes.