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THINGS TO KNOW 2013 • 65
from parts of the Malheur and Deschutes
National Forests. In 1960, Congress created
the Crooked River National Grassland, which
is administered by the Ochoco National
Forest.
Visitors coming to the Ochoco National
Forest can participate in the numerous recre-
ational activities offered including fishing,
hiking, biking, hunting, OHV riding, camping,
wildlife and bird watching, rockhounding,
scenic driving, outdoor learning, horseback
riding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, boating,
and cross-country skiing. The front desk staff
can provide guests with a wide range of
maps, brochures, and information to
improve their visit.
Bureau of Land Management
Prineville District Manager for Bureau of
Land Management:
Carol Benkosky
Phone:
541-416-6700
Website:
p
Address:
3050 N.E. Third St.
The Prineville District of the Bureau of
Land Management consists of more than
1.65 million acres of public lands. These
lands are scattered throughout Central
Oregon, south from The Dalles to the high
desert, west to Sisters, and east to the
Grant/Harney County line. The Crooked,
Deschutes, White, and John Day rivers make
up more than 385 miles of wild and scenic
river in the district. Riparian improvement,
grazing management, and steelhead and
salmon habitat improvement are some of
the primary management emphases.
Recreation areas administered by the BLM
include:
Lower Crooked River:
The Lower Crooked
Wild and Scenic River is 2,300 acres of pub-
lic land managed by the BLM with approxi-
mately 220 more acres managed by the
Bureau of Reclamation. The river meanders
through a rugged canyon that includes tower-
ing basalt cliffs up to 600 feet high.
Lower Deschutes River:
The Lower
Deschutes River has become increasingly
popular for all kinds of recreationists.
To reserve or purchase a Lower Deschutes
River Boater Pass, visit
pass.com/
John Day River:
The John Day River is one
of the most important rivers in northeast
Oregon for the production of anadromous
fish. To reserve or purchase a John Day River
Boater Pass, please visit:
-
dayboaterpermit.com.
Oregon Badlands Wilderness:
The Oregon
Badlands Wildneress is an experience of
ancient junipers, volcanic vistas, and sand.
You can explore cracked volcanic pressure
ridges, called tumuli, or walk narrow moat-
like cracks in the ground. Traces of human
history are visible to the careful observer.
The 29,000-acre Oregon Badlands
Wilderness is an outstanding example of
ancient western juniper woodlands atop
Columbia River Basalts. Nearly 50 miles of
trails offer the visitor many opportunities for
hiking or horseback riding loops of various
lengths. As a designated wilderness, the
Oregon Badlands Wilderness enjoys the high-
est level of permanent protection.
Spring Basin Wilderness:
Designated as a
wilderness area in 2009, the area encom-
passes 6,378 acres of scenery with numer-
ous vista points giving the visitor a sweeping
view of the John Day River Valley. The area,
is filled with remote canyons and vegetative
diversity. The scenic setting provides out-
standing opportunities for recreational activi-
ties such as photography, hiking, and nature
study.
The historic Oregon Trail can still be wit-
nessed with remnants of wagon ruts, tree
scars, and other evidence in many areas of
the district. The district office is located on
the east end of Prineville and is staffed with
an energetic and knowledgeable staff pre-
pared to help you with your area of interest.
Off-Highway Vehicles:
Central Oregon offers
a number of premier destinations for rid-
ing/driving off-highway vehicles. Before you
go, please visit the combined off-highway
vehicle operations (COHVOPS) website at:
ation/cohvops/index.shtml
The website provides maps of Central
Oregon OHV areas, current trail and weather
conditions, equipment requirements, and a
multitude of additional information.
COHVOPS manages OHV opportunities on
the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land
Management and the Deschutes and
Ochoco National Forests.
Central Oregon Interagency
Dispatch Center
Phone:
541-416-6800 or 1-800-314-2560
to report a fire.
Website:
gon/fire/
Address:
4550 Airport Way, Prineville
Established:
March 1, 1996
The Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch
Center (COIDC) provides initial attack dis-
patching and logistical support for emer-
gency management on the Prineville District
of the Bureau of Land Management,
Deschutes National Forest, Ochoco National
Forest, and Prineville/Sisters Units of the
Central Oregon District of the Oregon
Department of Forestry.
The COIDC organization has full authority
to set initial action priorities and implement
preplanned actions to meet management
objectives whenever an emergency occurs.
This authority includes the commitment of
resources to out-of-area fire assignments.
The dispatch organization is charged with ini-
tiating safe and cost-effective action on all
incidents occurring on, or threatening, lands
protected by the participating agencies.
The Central Oregon fire management
agencies involved in COIDC protects 4.5 mil-
lion acres of public and private land covering
a geographic area of 9.4 million acres, in an
area that averages more than 450 fires per
year.
The agency website provides information
including current fire conditions, fire news,
public and private land use restrictions, cur-
rent industrial fire precaution level, and the
location and timing of all prescribed burns.
The website also provides information con-
cerning local, regional, and national fire
training opportunities as well as providing
specific training information for the East
Slope Training Zone.
Crooked River Watershed Council
Phone:
541-447-3548
Website:
er.org/
Watershed director:
Chris Gannon
E-mail:
Address:
498 S.E. Lynn Blvd., Prineville
The purpose of the Crooked River
Watershed Council is to advise the Crook
County commissioners and the public in the
process of addressing watershed manage-
ment issues within the Crooked River
Watershed and to support the process of
coordination, education, and cooperation
among watershed inhabitants in the develop-
ment and implementation of a watershed
action program.
The Crooked River Watershed Council
advises established decision-making entities
and the community. As such, the council
makes recommendations concerning the
protection, restoration, and enhancement of
the quality of the Crooked River Watershed.
In addition, the watershed council designs
and raises money to implement environmen-
tal enhancement and restoration projects in
the watershed. The council holds regular
monthly meetings on the second Thursday of
each month from 6-8 p.m., at the OSU exten-
sion Office in Prineville.
☞
WATERSHED FACTS:
Land and Water –
The watershed has 2,893,095 acres, or
approximately 4,500 square miles. The
watershed has 9,548 miles of streams
including three fourth field watersheds
(Lower Crooked, Upper Crooked,
Beaver/South Fork), and 32 fifth field water-
sheds. The highest point in the watershed is
6,926 ft. Lookout Mountain with the lowest
point at 1,900 ft. on Lake Billy Chinook.
Average precipitation in the watershed
ranges from eight inches on the western
plateau to 34 inches in the Ochoco
Mountains.
Land ownership in the watershed is 41
percent private, 35 percent BLM, 23 percent
United State Forest Service, and one percent
the state of Oregon. Fifty-one percent of the
land adjacent to streams in the region is pri-
vately owned.
Portions of Crook, Wheeler, Grant, Harney,
Lake, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties are
all within the watershed.
