2023 Lava Island Fish Rescue

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Every fall flows drop in the Upper Deschutes as water begins to be stored in Wickiup and Crane Prairie Reservoirs for irrigation use next summer. When this happens, fish residing in the Lava Island side channel of the Deschutes become stranded from the main stem of the river.

DRC is once again aiding irrigation district efforts to rescue fish by coordinating volunteers. Volunteers will collect fish from the Lava Island side channel and transport them in buckets to the mainstem of the Deschutes River.

The projected rescue dates this year will be October 14th-16th. There will be two time slots per day. The morning slots will be from 8 or 9 AM to 12 pm and the afternoon slot will be from 1 PM to 5 PM.

***Please note, dates are tentative and may change due to weather and dam operations. DRC will be in touch with all volunteers via text to provide updates***

There will be three jobs throughout the day:

Netting fish (must be experienced and bring waders and boots)
Carrying bucketed fish to be counted (majority of the volunteers need)
Counting/identifying fish (must be experienced identifying and handling fish)
The majority of volunteers will be helping run buckets from the capture site to the counting site. The buckets will weigh 35-40 pounds each.

Please bring a water bottle, snacks, hiking shoes, hats, sunscreen. We will provide coffee, snacks, pizza, and water.