Fewer Bugs, But Enough To Keep Fishing Interesting
Anyone who has regularly fished on the Deschutes River knows that management of the Pelton Round Butte dam complex is critical to the maintenance of cold, clear water instream for cold-water fish species — notably, the steelhead that make Deschutes River fishing exciting in the fall.
The Deschutes River Alliance (DRA) has been documenting how often the river’s water temperature and acidity fail to meet the state’s own standards since the 2009 installation of the the “selective water withdrawal tower,” which was supposed to keep instream flows cool at critical times of the year.
At the Deschutes Club’s annual meeting on the river in May, DRA Executive Director Sarah Cloud and Water Quality Coordinator Hannah Camel, presented DRA data showing when and by how much the Deschutes River failed to meet water quality standards for acidity (pH) and temperature — resulting in more algae growth and fewer fish.
The operator of the dams and the water tower, Portland General Electric (PGE), disagrees (on its website and when quoted in news articles), and Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality also has taken issue with the concerns of the conservation organizations.
In this fisher’s experience the DRA’s science is compelling — although over Memorial Day weekend, enough salmonflies and resident rainbows remained to make fishing interesting.
For the rest of the season, I will be following the advice of other presenters at the Deschutes Club meeting: calling the sheriff’s office if I see illegal camp fires; wearing a life jacket when in a boat or raft (Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill credits enforcement of life jacket rules for dramatically reducing the number of drownings in the Deschutes); and keeping domestic sheep from passing disease on to any wild Bighorn sheep.
Of course, the Bighorn sheep normally stay up on the steepest canyon slopes, well away from my closest approach. Also, truth be told, I did not catch a single fish over Memorial Day weekend — but our guests caught lots. Is letting the guests catch fish a measure of a being good hostess? Anyone from the Club who would like to test my qualifications for the title — and watch for Bighorn sheep — please let me know! I offer no guarantee that you can do all the catching, but you can try.
Sally Bachman
In Memorium: Jim Van Loan
Long-time owner of the North Umpqua’s Steamboat Inn and ardent advocate for the river’s wild fish, Jim Van Loan passed away on April 2, 2025 at age 88. Those of us who where privileged to know him recall his dry wit, encyclopedic knowledge of topics from fishing regulations to geography to politics, and endearing love for his wife, Sharon. He was a fixture at the table facing the door of Steamboat Inn for decades where he greeted or scrutinized (or both!) everyone who entered. There are few who had Jim’s level of passion for the North Umpqua and its wild steelhead.
Here is an brief excerpt on some of Jim’s conservation contributions from his obituary provided by Pat Lee, long-time manager of Steamboat Inn:
“Jim was a keen and devoted steward of fisheries and natural resources in his native Oregon. Initially appointed by Governor Neil Goldschmidt, he served eight years on the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. He was one of the first board members of Oregon Trout, now known as The Freshwater Trust; a founding member of The North Umpqua Foundation; and also served on boards for The Steamboaters, the Pacific Rivers Council, and the Wild Salmon Center. From 2002 to 2006 he served on the Resource Advisory Committee for the Umpqua National Forest, where he assisted in securing funding for projects in the watershed and beyond.”
The family requests that donations in Jim’s memory be sent to The North Umpqua Foundation or your favorite fishery organization.