To restore migratory runs of steelhead in the Deschutes River, tens of thousands of Deschutes-stock steelhead fry from Round Butte Hatchery were released in May 2007 into Whychus Creek, a tributary of the Deschutes.

Approximately 50 volunteers used small aquarium nets to scoop fish from plastic buckets and place them gently in the creek. A similar release of spring Chinook was completed on the Metolius River in February 2008.

A collaborative effort
The steelhead project had been in the works for about 12 years, involving PGE and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, co-owners of the Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project, as well as conservation groups and government agencies.

The return of released fish
In late 2010, the first large adult steelhead are expected to return to the lower Deschutes from these releases. It is hoped that they will then be captured in the Pelton Fish Trap and transported upriver, above the dams, to spawn naturally.

Ongoing efforts to restore migration
Similar releases like those into the Whychus and Metolius will continue every year until adult fish start passing around the Pelton Round Butte project.

PGE is also working with organizations in the area and providing funds for restoration efforts to help make the streams more hospitable for fish.