For the DRA, A Season of Gratitude and Giving
The Deschutes gives us so much. Help the DRA give back to the river we love. Above, DRA Executive Director Sarah Cloud celebrates some of the river’s bounty.
A Big Year Behind Us, an Even Bigger One Ahead
By Sarah Cloud, Executive Director, Deschutes River Alliance
During this time of giving thanks, I find myself filled with both gratitude and urgency. Because of supporters like you, the Deschutes River Alliance (DRA) made real, undeniable progress in protecting the lower Deschutes — but the river still needs help.
This year, major investigative reporting finally exposed the truth about the harm caused by operations at the Pelton Round Butte Complex. Our coalition of conservation and angling groups pushed Governor Tina Kotek to step in, and for the first time, the state is demanding answers. Independent scientists — including consultants who’ve worked with PGE — confirmed what our research has shown for years: the river’s ecosystem is being damaged, and it cannot wait.
Through TroutFest, community events, and film screenings of The Last 100 Miles, we’ve met so many people who love this river deeply. And that love is what keeps us going.
But the months ahead will be critical. DEQ is preparing public meetings on the operating plan, and your voice — your presence — will matter more than ever. We’re calling for a simple, powerful change: a three-year trial releasing cold, clean bottom water to give the river a chance to breathe again.
To keep fighting, we need you with us. Your year-end gift fuels the science, advocacy, and community action that can finally turn the tide for the lower Deschutes.
If you love this river, please give today. Together, we can help it heal.
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The Deschutes River Alliance is your focused voice to protect the lower Deschutes River, its cold water flows and the fish and wildlife that are sustained by them. We send regular emails with important data and news about the lower Deschutes River. We will not sell your contact information to others.
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Everyone wants clean, healthy water in the Deschutes River. Oregonians cherish our clean and healthy waterways to provide drinking water, wildlife habitat and recreational activities. The lower Deschutes River is a federally designated Wild & Scenic River, and a national treasure. It must be protected for the environmental and economic health of Central Oregon. By working together we can return the lower Deschutes River to full health.
