Rep. Bynum, Senator Merkley introduce bill to continue federal funding for Deschutes River Conservancy
(Update: More details on federal funding from DRC official)
WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., and Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., introduced on Tuesday the Deschutes River Conservancy Reauthorization Act of 2025. The bill reauthorizes the Deschutes River Conservancy’s eligibility to receive federal funding for water quality improvement initiatives and conservation efforts.
Since its founding in 1996, the DRC and district partners have saved and restored flow to 350 cubic feet per second to rivers and streams, and piped over 100 miles of canals, maintaining streamflow and preventing water loss.
“Support for the Deschutes River Conservancy benefits our economy, our health, and our environment,” said Congresswoman Bynum. “It’s difficult to overstate the importance of the Deschutes River Basin for our Central Oregon communities, and the DRC’s work to improve, restore, and maintain its water flow and water quality. I’m proud to partner with Senator Merkley and lead this bill in the House to get this bill across the finish line and improve quality of life for all Oregonians.”
“The Deschutes River Conservancy plays a critical role in maintaining the quality of our waterways, and its work goes hand-in-hand with the health and stability of Central Oregon’s rivers and tributaries that are essential to our Tribes, agricultural producers, and those who use the Deschutes River as their destination for recreation,” said Senator Merkley. “Reauthorizing the DRC’s ability to receive federal funding will directly enhance collaborative conservation projects to improve water quality, supporting essential restoration work and working toward a sustainable future across the region.”
“We are thrilled to have Senator Merkley and Representative Bynum introduce legislation to reauthorize the Deschutes River Conservancy,” said Kate Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Deschutes River Conservancy. “This critical funding will help scale the water conservation solutions that provide resilience to agriculture, cities, and rivers in the Deschutes Basin into the future. This legislation is not just a testament to the regional significance of the Deschutes River, but also to the dedication to collaboration by our community and partners.”
Background
The DRC was formed in 1996 to improve water quality and restore streamflow in the Deschutes River Basin, which covers more than 10,000 square miles.
The DRC was first reauthorized in 2005, which made it eligible to receive $2 million per year for the next 10 years. The Deschutes River Conservancy Reauthorization Act of 2025 would reauthorize the DRC for the next 10 years, permitting it to receive $2 million in federal funding annually from the Bureau of Reclamation to continue its water quality and conservancy efforts.
You can view the full text of the bill here.
Asked for more details about the part federal funding playces in DRC and other programs in the region, Fitzpatrick shared this with KTVZ News:
"We have not received funding through this authorization since our last federal authorization expired in 2016.
"Our annual federal funding can currently range from $1M- over $7M, depending on what large infrastructure projects we have going in. This funding comes through competitive federal grant proposals, much of which gets passed through to our partners to construct projects on the ground.
"The proposed reauthorization would give us a more direct line to funding to implement our long list of water conservation and water quality projects in the basin. Much of the funding would be passed through to irrigation districts for water conservation projects that help the economy and restore streamflow.
"As a basin, we and our partners have multiple millions of projects lined up that help the river and farmers. DRC’s Congressional Reauthorization would just provide one more way to get important dollars into the basin.
"While the spending climate in DC is uncertain, we are confident that continued federal investment in projects that help rivers, farmers and communities is a rock-solid investment," Fitzpatrick concluded.
