Video: Working for the Same Thing

Mid-April marks the beginning of irrigation season in the West. We are proud to partner with producers throughout Oregon who go the extra mile to balance nature, the economy, and their own legacy. Take a minute to learn about a few of the individuals we work with in Eastern Oregon’s John Day basin. This Middle Fork John Day River supports some of the last exclusively wild runs of Spring Chinook and steelhead in the Columbia River Basin. Quality instream habitat and a lack of development, dams, and hatchery fish create an ideal wild-fish sanctuary for most of the year. However, low streamflows combined with warm and dry weather increase water temperatures and have caused significant kills. Fortunately, the species we love will reap the benefits of partnerships we’ve made with these ranchers to shorten their irrigation season and leave water instream in late summer when fish need it most. Many thanks to Richie Graham and Bo Bridges for donating their time to film and edit this piece.