The wild and scenic beauty of the lower Deschutes River draws supporters from around the world. The Native Fish Society and the Deschutes River Alliance are two organizations with a deep connection to the river and the wild fish that call it home.
On Aug. 4, the two kicked off the Bakeoven Watershed Rehabilitation Project, a collaborative endeavor in a dedicated effort to remove invasive blackberries that decrease water flow. The use of goats allows the work to be done without harmful pesticides. The 600 goats arrived from eastern Washington and will be working the area around Bakeoven for the next month. Each goat can eat around four pounds each day.
Ray Holes, the Goat King from Prescriptive Livestock Services, said, “In this project, the use of goats is a huge labor savings. They will eat quite a lot and allow volunteers to get in later and get the roots out. The work the goats are doing today will allow the recovery to happen faster.”
The project will continue in mid-winter when the groups return for more restoration work on the creek.
Our gratitude goes out to Randy Klettke, as well as an anonymous donor, for pioneering and supporting this project to increase water flow, restore habitat, and produce tangible results for the watershed.
We look forward to working together to help restore a cooler, cleaner lower Deschutes River for the benefit of our wild, native fish, their habitat, and the surrounding local community.
For more information and photos, contact Tracy Buckner, Native Fish Society, operations and founder of Women for Wild Fish, at 503-344-4218 or tracy@nativefishsociety.org, or Sarah Cloud, executive director, Deschutes River Alliance, at 503-307-5578 or sarah@deschutesriveralliance.org.
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