Wasco County Area Watersheds

Wasco County's Watershed Councils are voluntary, local organizations authorized by the State of Oregon and recognized by the County Board of Commissioners. The Councils were established to help address natural resource and watershed conservation and enhancement in Wasco County. The five local Watershed Councils - Mosier, The Dalles, Fifteenmile, White River, and Bakeoven/Buck Hollow - collaborate with landowners and partner organizations to foster an understanding of watershed resources and to then work cooperatively to improve watershed health through voluntary habitat restoration and other actions. The combined Councils cover drainages that flow directly into the Columbia River between Mosier and The Dalles Dam, including Rock, Mosier, Rowena, Chenoweth, Mill, and Fifteenmile Creeks. The area also covers two key drainages to the lower Deschutes River, White River, and Bakeoven and Buck Hollow Creeks. The combined watersheds cover a diverse landscape of more than 861,000 acres, including over one thousand miles of fish-bearing streams and associated riparian and floodplain habitats, and upland areas. The Councils play a critical role in maintaining and restoring fish and wildlife populations, improving water quality, and enhancing stream and upland habitats in these watersheds.