⁄Policy Brief⁄ BY ROBERT “BOBBY” BRUNOE WATER — OR “CHUUSH,” in one of our languages — is vital to the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs. Our historic territory is largely defined by watersheds, where our people have been nourished by its fish since time immemorial. The Deschutes River Boundary forms the eastern boundary of our reservation, and we rely on it for our drinking water. In our religious practice, water is the first gift of the Creator and is consumed to unify all of our First Foods: salmon, deer and elk; root vegetables and berries. It is our sovereign duty to manage the land and watershed for their health, as well as for the health of our people. We face serious challenges in the Deschutes River Basin — including prolonged drought, challenging water-quality dynamics and increased demand. In order to meet our and our neighbors’ current and future needs, we dedicate significant time and resources to collaboratively improving water use in the Deschutes Basin. Striking that balance is a growing challenge, yet we see signs of progress when tribal, state, federal and local governments as well as land and business owners can work together. Where Collaboration Is Working: Hydroelectric Power, Fishery Restoration We are 49.99% owners of the Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project, comprising three dams in the Deschutes River Canyon. We work with Portland General Electric to improve fish migration and passage. The fact that we now serve as an equal partner and voice in this project is critical because we ensure responsible management of our sacred water resources and fish populations. It is long-term work, and we are making progress. Our efforts with Portland General Electric include attracting migrating juvenile fish abovethedamandmovingthemdownstream, collecting returning adult fish and transporting them upstream, while also controlling the temperature of water released into the Deschutes River to optimize conditions for fish. In 2022 we reintroduced more than 700 chinook into the upper basin. They have been observed spawning naturally, and their offspring are now on their way to the ocean. This program has also helped to improve water quality by restoring natural seasonal patterns and preserving cold water for when fish need it most. In 2024, 500 steelhead were released above the dams, all of whom passed downstream as juveniles, now upstream and able to spawn naturally and produce the next generation. Where Collaboration Is Working: Managing the Deschutes Basin In 2018 we convened a water summit with the State of Oregon, which resulted in the Deschutes Basin Water Collaborative (DBWC). This group includes: Oregon Governor’s Office, Oregon Dept. of Agriculture, Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, Oregon Water Resources Dept., US Fish & Wildlife Service, Oregon Environmental Council, Arnold Irrigation District, Central Oregon Irrigation District, Deschutes Soil & Water Conservation District, Lone Pine Irrigation District, North Unit Irrigation District, Ochoco Irrigation District, Water for Life, Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Crook County, Jefferson County, Deschutes County, Central Oregon Cities Organization, City of Bend, City of La Pine, City of Prineville, City of Redmond, Yancy Lind (citizen), Crooked River Watershed Council, Deschutes River Conservancy, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Sunriver Anglers Trout Unlimited (Deschutes Redband Chapter), Trout Unlimited (State Office), Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, Coalition for the Deschutes, High Desert Food & Farm Alliance, Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District, Wild River Home Owner’s Association, Central Oregon Land Watch, Oregon Natural Desert Association, Water Watch of Oregon, Portland General Electric, Avion Water Company and the League of Women Voters (Deschutes County). The DBWC is a mechanism for stakeholders to collaborate on critical water-allocation and management issues in the Deschutes Basin, and to develop strategies to meet stream flow, ecological, agricultural and community need for water. A key part of the collaborative’s mission is to develop a plan to manage the Basin’s water in alignment with the needs of the Basin and working with the tribe and State of Oregon co-managers of water. We are also founding members of the Deschutes River Conservancy. Through cooperation with local irrigators as well as local, state and federal agencies, the DRC has been successful in increasing the amount of water that flows during summer in the Middle Deschutes River downstream of Bend, and many other water projects in partnership with stakeholders in the basin. Where Collaboration Is Needed: Forest Health and Water The western half of the Warm Springs Reservation is forested. It provides us with traditional foods and medicines, carbon storage, and timber and forest products. We are proud of our forest-management plan and the balance it achieves, including helping to provide clean air and water. However, we cannot have enough clean, cold water without more tribal participation in forest management beyond our reservation on our borders with the Mt. Hood, Deschutes and Willamette national forests. We are and will be working in collaboration with these forests to address forest-health concerns. They have seen increasingly large, catastrophic fires, accumulating dead trees that create a future fire hazard. Loss of forest canopy, particularly alongside rivers, affects stream temperature and aquatic health. Recent scientific studies also show that snow melts faster on fire-affected slopes, meaning less water when it is needed the most in warm months. We urge Congress to create new authorities and funding mechanisms for tribal co-management of federal forests. One local example is legislation that Senator Wyden and Congressman Blumenauer introduced, to direct the Forest Service to enter into a stewardship agreement with Warm Springs for improved management of our sacred resources and habitat — including water — in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Since Time Immemorial, for Generations to Come We can all agree that taking care of our water is a priority. Congress is even paying attention: I recently joined a discussion with the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife & Fisheries about this very topic. The Warm Springs people have been here since time immemorial. We, and our neighbors, are not going anywhere. We are determined to continue working together. To keep making progress, and to overcome current obstacles, we urge our fellow government leaders at the state and federal level to continue and to grow support for collaboration throughout the Basin. Robert “Bobby” Brunoe is the secretary-treasurer/CEO of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs. Tribes and Neighbors Must Work Together to Care for Our Water Robert “Bobby” Brunoe 48
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