The Trout Creek Watershed Council began in 1996. The council works cooperatively with the Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District. The council also works closely with such entities as the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Bonneville Power Administration, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Deschutes River Conservancy, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Agriculture, and Wasco County SWCD, who are also addressing the conservation needs in the Trout Creek watershed.
Restoration projects on Trout Creek are carried out with an awareness of the habitat needs of summer steelhead, and endangered salmonid. It is our goal to increase populations of summer steelhead in the watershed — this may be accomplished by focusing on maintaining vegetation diversity to provide shading (and thus, cooling) of the streams, and water quality issues stemming from farm, rangeland, or past practices.
Trout Creek has always held a significant place in the history of Central Oregon. Before the treaty of 1855 with the Tribes of Middle Oregon, native peoples frequented the area for seasonal fishing, hunting and subsistence food gathering. Early explorers passed through the area and marveled at its beauty and natural resources. During the time of early settlement, areas along or near Trout Creek were some of the first to be settled and developed due to the availability of water as well as the abundance of native grasses in the meadows and on nearby hills that could be utilized for grazing. Logging and mining activities developed soon after on the upper reaches of Trout Creek. For the past one-hundred + years, the landscape has been altered from its pre Euro–American settlement. Today, the main land use in the area is livestock grazing and forage crops. There are approximately 2250 acres of cropland being irrigated from Trout Creek.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS & MEETINGS Upcoming Meetings Willow Creek Watershed Council Meeting: August 14th, @ 3:00pm, National Grasslands Office, Madras Trout Creek Watershed Council Meeting: October 23rd, Field trip For information concerning small grants please contact Heather Williams Middle Deschutes Watershed Council Coordinator at heather.williams@or.nacdnet.net |
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