Summer is arriving to Portland highlighted by– Rose Festival festivities, fleet week, Hood strawberries!!! Long and warm sunny days and cool evenings perfect for outdoor activities, picnics, hikes, sightseeing and more fishing from the sea to the mountains.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is updating water quality rules to protect aquatic life in Oregon. The Deschutes River Alliance (DRA), a staunch protector of the Deschutes River, is concerned that some of the water quality standards will be relaxed and that the proposed rule changes are not based on available data. They recently sent out a list of concerns you can review so you can send comments to DEQ.
You can also submit comments to aquaticlife.2022@deq.oregon.gov. All comments must be received by 5pm, June 23, 2023.
ODFW summer steelhead forecast for 2023 is bleak for the Columbia basin. The Deschutes River is currently open because the number of wild steelhead passing Sherars Falls was over 625. In order to remain open, two benchmarks need to be met:
July1- July 31 minimum 9,900 wild steelhead pass over Bonneville dam.
July1- Aug 31 minimum 23,100 wild steelhead over Bonneville dam.
Sherars Trap:
Oct 31- greater than 60 wild steelhead at Sherars to stay open
Over 120 wild steelhead at Sherars to re-open Nov 15.
There are many other species of fish to catch during the summer months:
Trout, bass, carp to name a few. Oregon has many great lakes and rivers and even an ocean to spend a day or two fishing.
There will be no monthly meeting in June, however, we will have an outstanding presentation in July.
Enjoy the great outdoors!!!
With gratitude,
Mike Radakovich President, FCO
