 |
 |
|
|
Deschutes: Held in Trust
In 1995, concerned citizens in central Oregon formed the Deschutes Basin Land Trust (DBLT). The primary goal of the trust is to conserve and restore open spaces and native fish habitat within the Deschutes River drainage system. A secondary project, called Back to Home Waters, will help to restore the region's native fish runs. The DBLT views this project as an important example of the immediate opportunity for people to cooperate in the stewardship and protection of open spaces.
Fish are not the only beneficiaries of the Back to Home Waters project. Necessary restoration of riparian habitat, water quality and flow will also help migratory waterfowl and local wildlife populations. Humans will also benefit from a cleaner residential water supply and better opportunities for water-based recreation.
For now, the areas of greatest interest to the DBLT include working farms and ranches in the Squaw Creek and Crooked River watersheds, as well as some undeveloped private lands in the same area.
And the need for conservation is pressing. In the 1990s, the regional population boomed and rapid development followed. For example, Deschutes County has been Oregon's fastest-growing county with a population jump of 54% in just 10 years. Ongoing high-density growth is threatening sensitive habitat throughout the watershed.
There are many land-use issues that polarize the area's population, dividing consensus on development, dam-removal, grazing rights and water use. But from the perspective of the DBLT, these debates may not be a bad thing if public discussion also increases awareness of the need to conserve and steward important local landscapes.
|
|
BACK TO HOME WATERS
The DBLT has worked with a variety of partners to identify, acquire and restore a number of critical habitats in the upper Deschutes area. Among the many successes of the Back to Home Waters program are:
|
- Camp Polk Meadow on Squaw Creek, where the trust is working to increase riparian habitat and enhance water quality and quantity in anticipation of an eventual reintroduction of steelhead.
- Indian Ford Meadow on Indian Ford Creek, an important tributary of Squaw Creek. The trust is managing the meadow to secure and improve fish and wildlife habitat, as well as scenic views. Riparian zones are recovering and birds and animals are returning to the area.
- Alder Springs in the Crooked River National Grasslands, an exceptionally scenic property that is bisected by Squaw Creek just above the creek's confluence with the Deschutes River.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
