Draft Deschutes River Subbasin Summary August 3, 2001 Prepared for the Northwest Power Planning Council Lead Writer Leslie Nelson Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Subbasin Team Leader Clair Kunkel Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife DRAFT: This document has not yet been reviewed or approved by the Northwest Power Planning Council Deschutes River Subbasin Summary i DRAFT Contributors Glen Ardt, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Gary Asbridge, Mt. Hood National Forest Susan Barnes, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Merlin Berg, Wy’East Resource Conservation and Development Jon Bowers, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Chris Brun, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation Chris Carey, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Krista Coelsch, Sherman County Soil and Water Conservation District Cedric Cooney, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Rick Craiger, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Jim Eisner, Bureau of Land Management Ron Graves, Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District Mary Hanson, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Brad Houslet, Deschutes National Forest, Crescent District Ray Johnson, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Keith Kohl, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Rick Kruger, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Clair Kunkel, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Bonnie Lamb, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Barbara Lee, Upper Deschutes River Watershed Council Steve Marx, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Scott McCaulou, Deschutes Resources Conservancy Dave Nelson, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Tom Nelson, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Jim Newton, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Brad Nye, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation Mike O’Connell, Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District Doug Olson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Patty O’Toole, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation Steve Pribyl, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Andrew Purkey, Oregon Water Trust Don Ratliff, Portland General Electric Mike Reihle, Deschutes National Forest, Sisters District Ken Rutherford, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Eric Schulz, Portland General Electric Curtis Sommers, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Brian Stradley, Sherman County Soil and Water Conservation District Amy Stuart, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Eric Tinus, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Larry Toll, Oregon Water Resources Department Jim Torland, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Tom Walker, Deschutes National Forest, Bend District Tina Whitman, Crooked River Watershed Council Deschutes River Subbasin Summary ii DRAFT Deschutes River Subbasin Summary Table of Contents Subbasin Description............................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 General Description - Lower Deschutes River............................................................... 1 General Description - Pelton/Round Butte Project Area................................................ 4 General Description - Metolius River ............................................................................ 6 General Description - Crooked River............................................................................. 8 General Description- Upper Deschutes River.............................................................. 12 Fish and Wildlife Resources................................................................................................ 15 Fish and Wildlife Status – Subbasin-wide ................................................................... 15 Fish and Wildlife Status – Lower Deschutes River ..................................................... 15 Fish and Wildlife Status – Pelton/Round Butte Project ............................................... 20 Fish and Wildlife Status – Metolius River................................................................... 23 Fish and Wildlife Status – Crooked River ................................................................... 26 Fish and Wildlife Status – Upper Deschutes River...................................................... 28 Habitat Areas and Quality – Subbasin-wide ................................................................ 31 Habitat Areas and Quality - Lower Deschutes River ................................................... 35 Habitat Areas and Quality - Pelton/Round Butte Project Area .................................... 37 Habitat Areas and Quality - Metolius River................................................................. 37 Habitat Areas and Quality - Crooked River ................................................................. 39 Habitat Areas and Quality - Upper Deschutes River.................................................... 39 Watershed Assessment - Subbasin-wide...................................................................... 40 Watershed Assessment - Lower Deschutes River........................................................ 43 Watershed Assessment - Pelton/Round Butte Project Area......................................... 45 Watershed Assessment - Metolius River ..................................................................... 47 Watershed Assessment - Crooked River...................................................................... 48 Watershed Assessment - Upper Deschutes River ........................................................ 49 Limiting Factors – Subbasin-wide ............................................................................... 50 Limiting Factors - Lower Deschutes River .................................................................. 52 Deschutes River Subbasin Summary iii DRAFT Limiting Factors - Pelton/Round Butte Project Area ................................................... 55 Limiting Factors - Metolius River................................................................................ 55 Limiting Factors - Crooked River ................................................................................ 57 Limiting Factors - Upper Deschutes River................................................................... 58 Artificial Production - Lower Deschutes River............................................................ 61 Artificial Production - Pelton/Round Butte Project Area............................................. 63 Artificial Production - Metolius River ......................................................................... 64 Artificial Production - Crooked River.......................................................................... 65 Artificial Production - Upper Deschutes River ............................................................ 66 Existing and Past Efforts – Subbasin-wide .................................................................. 66 Existing and Past Efforts - Lower Deschutes River..................................................... 67 Existing and Past Efforts - Pelton/Round Butte Project Area...................................... 79 Existing and Past Efforts - Metolius River................................................................... 81 Existing and Past Efforts - Crooked River................................................................... 86 Existing and Past Efforts - Upper Deschutes River ..................................................... 91 Present Subbasin Management............................................................................................ 99 Existing Management................................................................................................... 99 Existing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies – Subbasin-wide..................................... 105 Existing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies – Lower Deschutes River....................... 124 Existing Goals, Objectives and Strategies – Pelton/Round Butte Project.................. 141 Existing Goals, Objectives and Strategies – Metolius River ..................................... 141 Existing Goals, Objectives and Strategies – Crooked River...................................... 144 Existing Goals, Objectives and Strategies – Upper Deschutes River ........................ 151 Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Activities ...................................................... 159 Statement of Fish and Wildlife Needs........................................................................ 163 References ......................................................................................................................... 168 Subbasin Recommendations.............................................................................................. 179 Deschutes River Subbasin Summary iv DRAFT Appendix I. Figures and Tables Figure 1. Deschutes River subbasin.............................................................................................. 292 Figure 2. Vegetation types in the Deschutes River subbasin........................................................ 294 Figure 3. Land ownership in the Deschutes River subbasin......................................................... 296 Figure 4. Spring chinook salmon distribution in the lower Deschutes River subbasin................ 305 Figure 5. Estimated Deschutes and Columbia mainstem harvest rates and Columbia mainstem passage loss of wild Deschutes River spring chinook salmon, 1969 to 1999....................... 306 Figure 6. Natural