As regular droughts hit Central Oregon, experts say the flow of the Metolius River has weakened.
Located near Sisters, the Metolius River is a federally protected tributary to the Deschutes. It’s also home to the bull trout, a threatened species.
“It's extremely pristine,” said Bret Campbell, a board member with the conservation group Friends of the Metolius. “The level of the water quality, and the low cold temperature, makes it a unique area for a variety of species.”
However, at the headwaters near Camp Sherman, the volume of discharged water has trended downwards, according to state monitoring. Officials point to dry conditions in the area.
“The Metolius River is basically tracking long-term climate trends, and that's not unique,” said Jeremy Giffin, the District 11 Watermaster based in Bend.
Campbell said some neighbors have noticed lower waterlines along the river, but they haven’t yet reported a loss of wildlife. On Nov. 15, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife noted that the river "continues to fish well."
The Metolius River previously recovered after facing drought conditions in the '90s. Campbell said today’s trends appear consistent with those historical ups-and-downs.
"We are not in a state yet where those levels have gotten so low that it looks anomalous," he said.
Giffin said it’s unlikely the flow will rebound within the next several years, as rainfall remains below average. He said local officials are mostly powerless, since there is already essentially no human infrastructure pulling water from the Metolius.
"What we're seeing is a mark that's done by Mother Nature here," he said. "So until we see a turnaround in precipitation, we're likely not to see a turnaround in the spring flow.”
