Portland, OR -- A local advocacy group is concerned about water quality in the Lower Deschutes River, the stretch from Lake Billy Chinook to the Columbia. Deschutes River Alliance Executive Director Sarah Cloud says Tuesday evening's virtual ‘State of the Lower Deschutes’ is an opportunity to discuss findings from last year’s research, “Some of those highlights are that the water is being intentionally warmed; at times, critical to fish health. Also, the warming of the water increases parasites, such as sea shasta, which attacks spring chinook, in particular.”

Cloud claims damage is caused by PGE’s operations at Pelton Round Butte Dam, when warmer surface water is pulled from Lake Billy Chinook, primarily from the Crooked River, instead of cooler, deeper water that comes from the Metolius. “And on days when they release more water from the bottom of Lake Billy Chinook, the river is often in compliance," Cloud tells KBND News, "So, there’s an easy fix. They could improve the ecology of the Lower Deschutes River if they’d do more releasing of water from the bottom of Lake Billy Chinook, instead of the surface.”

Deschutes River Alliance has, for years, asked Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to enforce the Clean Water Act, “The Lower Deschutes River is too important to give up on. It’s a wild and scenic river; it’s an iconic river. People travel from around the world to enjoy it.” Cloud adds, “It is one of the treasures of Oregon, if not of the United States. And, quite frankly, if the Clean Water Act can be violated on nearly a daily basis on the Lower Deschutes River, what’s happening to other waterways? The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality needs to step up and enforce the Clean Water Act.”

Tuesday's online presentation starts at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. You'll find the link at the Deschutes River Alliance website.

In response to questions from KBND News, a spokesperson from Oregon's DEQ issued the following statement:

DEQ is working to address water quality issues on the Deschutes and other rivers throughout Oregon. There are multiple and complex causes of water quality issues, including climate change, drought, algae growth, land use, and higher ambient temperatures.

PGE is currently meeting requirements of its Clean Water Act 401 water quality certification for the Pelton Round Butte Dam. The water quality certification requires PGE to submit monthly monitoring reports to DEQ, which DEQ reviews as part of its oversight. Based on the monitoring, the project is meeting requirements of the current 401 water quality certification.

There are several additional activities DEQ is working on with implications for the Deschutes:

• DEQ is participating in a water quality workgroup convened by PGE, with participation from the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, Deschutes River Alliance, and other interested parties, to collaboratively develop strategies for continuing to improve water quality on the Deschutes. The group is called the Lower Deschutes River Pilot Stakeholder Working Group.
• DEQ is also working on a rulemaking for aquatic life use, which may further affect requirements for the dam. Once this rulemaking is finalized, DEQ will work on a modification to the dam’s 401 certification based on updated water quality standards.
• Water quality in the Lower Deschutes River is affected by the water and algae that enters the river from the reservoirs and the river’s tributaries. DEQ will eventually develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), which will identify the dam’s potential contribution to pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen, if any, along with the potential contribution of other sources.