The deschutes river is recognized for its world class sport fisheries, important tribal ceremonial andsubsistence fisheries, and its contribution to commercial fisheries

The State of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) received a Formula Grant award of $278,608 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This award supports the Lower Deschutes Fish Population Study, which provides essential fisheries management data for the Lower Deschutes River in Oregon. The project delivers critical monitoring and assessment services including estimates of in-basin harvest, run-year specific escapement calculations, and relative status information on resident fish populations.

The funding enables ODFW to collect and analyze data necessary to inform management decisions across multiple fishery types—including international, commercial, sport, and tribal fisheries—while supporting recovery monitoring for Endangered Species Act-protected steelhead populations on the Lower Deschutes River. These research and monitoring services are essential to maintaining the river's world-class sport fisheries and important tribal ceremonial and subsistence fisheries while ensuring sustainable resource management.

The lower deschutes fish population studyprovides information necessary to inform, monitor, and guide fisheries management on the lower deschutes river.primary objectives of the project are to provide estimates of in-basin harvest, estimate run-year specificescapement, and provide relative status information on resident fish. Information collected from this projectprovides needed information governing international, commercial, sport and tribal fisheries, along withinformation necessary to monitor the recovery of endangered species act protected steelhead.