Warm Springs Tribes voice relief that lower Deschutes sampling found water quality among ‘best in the nation’

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation on Monday shared the results of a report that tested water quality on the lower Deschutes River, saying it found some of the nation's best water, easing potentially costly requirements for a major water treatment system upgrade.

The tribes said repeated water sampling consistently showed that:

-Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — also known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals” — were not present in the Deschutes River water source 

-6PPD-Quinone, a tire rubber-derived organic chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency notes is toxic to fish, was also not detected

-The water source has low turbidity and high clarity, which correlates with fish health, and is easy to treat for all other water quality conditions under EPA regulations. 

Xuehua Bai, principal of Bai Engineers, who conducted the study and prepared the report on behalf of Indian Health Services, noted during a presentation to Warm Springs Tribal Council that the water quality rivals some of the best in the nation.

The water testing serves to inform Warm Springs Tribal Council’s evaluation of the design of a new treatment facility for the community drinking water supply.

With evidence of such high-quality source water, Tribal Council was able to select a design for the new facility that is unlikely to require additional treatment components, the tribes said. As such, the project cost is estimated to be within existing available funding sources from the IHS and the EPA that are earmarked specifically for this project. 

As Warm Springs Tribes plan a new water treatment facility for the future, they are also rehabilitating the current treatment facility for the present. The current rehabilitation will install more modern technology to ensure that drinking water can continue to be safe until the new facility is complete.  

"This report speaks to the progress that Warm Springs Tribes, in collaboration with so many others, continue to make in improving overall water quality on the lower Deschutes River," Monday's news release stated.

Warm Springs Tribes have been engaged in restoration efforts on the Deschutes River for decades, not only to ensure clean, safe drinking water for the Reservation but also to improve fishery health. The report’s findings are positive signs for both objectives, as the lack of PFAS points to clean drinking water, the absence of 6PPD-Quinone supports fish health, and the water’s low turbidity and high clarity also correlates with fish health. 

The IHS tested water quality at Warm Springs Tribes’ Dry Creek Water Treatment Plant, located on the Deschutes River at River Mile 95, downstream from the Pelton Round Butte hydroelectric project’s Reregulating Dam. 

The IHS’ two most recent comprehensive raw water sample collections and analyses occurred December 17, 2023 and May 29, 2024. Results were presented to the Warm Springs Tribal Council on July 16. 

The design process for the new water treatment plant is ongoing. It is expected to be 30 percent complete by the end of September. 

Jonathan W. Smith, Sr., Chairman, Tribal Council for the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, said, “Water is the first of the gifts that the Creator gave us, and it is our life’s work to protect and restore this sacred natural resource. We’re pleased by moments that affirm the effectiveness of our traditional and scientific approach to resource management. Our Tribal Council has also expressed collective relief that we can proceed with building our new water treatment plant within the planned budget.”

A conservation group, the Deschutes River Alliance, has pointed for years to the Portland General Electric Round Butte hydroelectric project's negative impacts on water quality and fish impacts on the lower Deschutes.

NewsChannel 21 requested a comment on the report and the tribes' announcement, alliance Executive Director Sarah Cloud told us:

"While we are glad to hear that no “forever chemicals” were measured in the lower Deschutes River, it is misleading to state that it has some of the best water quality in the country.

"Since 2010, water quality violations have increased due to operation changes in how water is released from the dams. In this year alone, since April 17, the state’s water quality standard for pH has been violated 170 days. High pH levels can be damaging to fish and other aquatic life. Water quality changes have also contributed to an increase in fish pathogens, one of which has a high mortality rate to infected spring Chinook salmon."