BEND, OR -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold four public meetings in August to gain feedback on how to balance water availability with the needs of five aquatic species in the Deschutes Basin. Bridget Moran, USFWS Bend Field Supervisor, says there's been a lot of cooperation so far, "The eight local irrigation districts and the city of Prineville have been working with us to develop what's called a Habitat Conservation Plan so they can have reliable water availability and certainty into the future, and simultaneously be addressing the needs of our endangered species in the area."
She tells KBND News public input is important to the process to develop a plan for five threatened species, "The Oregon Spotted Frog is in the Upper Deschutes Basin between Wickiup Reservoir and essentially the whitewater park in Downtown Bend. And then the other species, the fish species and the other species, are either in the Crooked River, which drains into the Deschutes, or they're lower down in the Deschutes River." She says, "We're very excited to be moving ahead in this direction, we feel like we have a really collaborative relationship with the irrigation districts and we're working very hard to get this plan moving ahead. I feel like a lot of the Deschutes Basin stakeholders are eager to see this go forward, and we're eager to hear their input." Moran adds, "I feel the long term restoration of the Deschutes River is before us, and that's exciting."
Next month's meetings take place in Bend and Madras
Monday, August 14 in Madras at the Inn at Cross Keys Station
- 2:00 - 4:00 pm and 6:00 - 8:00 pm
And, Tuesday, August 15 at the Bend U.S. Forest Service office on Deschutes Market Road
- 2:00 - 4:00 pm and 6:00 - 8:00 pm
