Overview
The Whychus Creek watershed was historically one of the most important spawning areas upstream of the Pelton Round Butte complex, providing excellent habitat for spring chinook salmon and summer steelhead. The Three Sisters Irrigation District diversion is the largest and oldest diversion in the watershed, responsible for diverting up to 90% of summer flow and significant fish entrapment.
Project goals include:
- Providing up and downstream fish passage at the dam
- Retrofitting the diversion to provide fish screening
- Restoring 1,400 ft of Whychus Creek below the dam to improve habitat and overall stream function while reducing erosion.
This work is being conducted in conjunction with two other projects that are intricately tied to the project overall:
- Retrofitting the private Edgington irrigation diversion on the left side of the dam with a fish screen
- Piping of the TSID canal to protect approximately 6 cfs of water in stream.
Project Partners and Funders:
- USDA Forest Service
- Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
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- Pelton Round Butte Fund
- Three Sisters Irrigation District
- National Forest Foundation
- National Marine Fisheries Service
- Title II Rac
- Deschutes River Conservancy
- Bureau of Reclamation
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