BEND, Ore. (AP) — A U.S. Forest Service plan to create a central Oregon wetland from the Deschutes River has drawn protests from local irrigation districts who say the project will suck off water from irrigators downstream.
The Forest Service plan would let water flow into Ryan Ranch Meadow in the Deschutes National Forest, about 10 miles southwest of Bend, the Bulletin reports.
The area has not received river water for nearly 100 years because of a man-made levee along the river bank.
North Unit Irrigation District manager Mike Britton says the meadow would act as a “natural sump” and take water away from North Unit customers.
The water for the North Unit customers is stored in the winter at the Wickiup Reservoir and flows in the summer on the Deschutes River.
