For the last two years, TU has been working to restore Oregon’s iconic Metolius River, a place that is well-known for its fishing opportunities, its scenic beauty and world-renowned recreational opportunities. For fly anglers, the Metolius is a special place with an amazing diversity of native and wild fish —redband trout, threatened bull trout, kokanee, and reintroduced Chinook and Sockeye salmon all live in the river. And in 2012, for the first time in 50 years, sockeye salmon and spring Chinook salmon have returned to the river to spawn once again. It is an important place that needs our help to conserve its Wild and Scenic character.
Because of its popularity with anglers, boaters and others, the river is suffering from damage from overuse. Together with a group of local partners, including the Deschutes National Forest and Friends of the Metolius, we’re working to protect the river for future use and we’re engaged in an educational campaign to help people understand how they can help protect this gem.
A Better Path: Stewardship of the Metolius River
This short video tells the story of the Metolius and what we’re doing to help educate people about protecting the river as they access and enjoy it, reduce the impact of future heavy recreational use, and make sure future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty and peace of the area. We hope this film leaves you ready for another trip out on the water, and a desire to get involved in a stewardship project on your own local, special river.
Click here to read more about our Metolius River Stewardship Project and access the video.