Deschutes River
Alternate meanings: Deschutes River (disambiguation)  |
Deschutes River in central Oregon |
The
Deschutes River is a
river which runs through central
Oregon and is a major tributary to the
Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the
Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many of the tributaries that descend from the eastern, drier flank of the mountains. It provided a major route to and from the Columbia for
Native Americans and later pioneers on the
Oregon Trail. It flows mostly through rugged and arid country and its valley provides a cultural heart for central Oregon. Today the river provides
irrigation and is a popular in the summer for
whitewater rafting and
fishing.
The headwaters of the Deschutes River is
Little Lava Lake, a
lake in the
Cascade Mountains located approximately 26 miles northwest of the city of
LaPine. The river flows south into Crane Prairie Reservoir then into a second reservoir (the
Wickiup Reservoir, from there it heads in a northeasterly direction past the resort community of
Sunriver into the city of
Bend. In Bend, much of the river's waters are diverted for
irrigation; as a result, the river is a much smaller stream leaving the city of Bend than it is entering it.
The river continues north from Bend, past the city of
Redmond. As it heads north through the Central Oregon desert; the river begins to carve a
gorge. By the time it reaches
Lake Billy Chinook west of
Madras, the river is approximately 300 feet below the surrounding plateau. At Lake Billy Chinook (a lake formed by
Round Butte Dam), the river is joined by the
Crooked and
Metolius rivers.
Beyond the dam, the river continues to flow north in a gorge well below the surrounding countryside. It passes through the
Warm Springs Indian Reservation, including the city of
Warm Springs and the
Kah-Nee-Tah resort. The northern stretch, in and around the city of
Maupin is a highly-regarded
whitewater stream. The river ends at its confluence with the
Columbia, five miles southwest of
Biggs Junction.
The
river was named Riviere des Chutes or
Riviere aux Chutes,
French for
River of the Falls, during the period of fur trading. The
waterfall it referred to was the
Celilo Falls on the
Columbia River, near where the Deschutes flowed into it. (These falls no longer exist; having been innundated by the lake behind
The Dalles Dam).
Lewis and Clark encountered the river on
October 22,
1805 and referred to it by the Native American name
Towarnehiooks; on their return journey they gave it the new name
Clarks River. During the middle
19th century, the river was major obstacle for emigrants on the Oregon Trail. The major crossing point on the river was near its mouth in present-day
Deschutes River State Recreation Area. Many emigrants camped on the bluff on the west side of the river after making the crossing. The remains of the trail leading up to the top of the bluff are still visible.
 |
Deschutes River near its mouth on the Columbia. Many emigrants on the Oregon Trail camped on the top of the bluff seen at left after crossing the river. |
The river is world renowned for its
fly fishing. It is home to a unique wild and native strain of
Rainbow trout known locally as "redsides." The redsides grow larger than most and also have a distinct darker red stripe than most wild rainbow trout.
Fly fishermen come from around the world in the last two weeks in May through the first two weeks in June to take advantage of the Stone fly and Salmon Fly hatch. These bugs are in the river year-round, however their large adults are a major food source for the fish.
Much of the flow of the upper Deschutes River is diverted into
canals to irrigate farmland; Irrigation Districts take as much as 97% of the river's flow in the summer months. The growth of cites like
Bend and
Redmond also increased demand on the river's water, which is overallocated. Because the existing canals lose about 65% of their water due to leaks and evaporation, there is pressure to convert these canals into pipelines, a move that is resisted by many locals for historic or scenic reasons.
The lower river is used primarily for recreation. The Deschutes river also runs South to North, which is unusual in the
U.S. (though several other tribuataries of the
Columbia River in
Oregon, including the
Willamette and the
John Day rivers, also flow in a northerly direction.)
*
List of Oregon rivers
