Or. Admin. Code § 635-500-1870

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 12, December 1, 2024

Section 635-500-1870 - Crooked River and its Tributaries Below Prineville Reservoir

(1) The following policies apply for fish management in the lower Crooked River:

(a) Redband trout and mountain whitefish in Crooked River and tributaries below Prineville Reservoir (except Ochoco Creek and a portion of the Crooked River downstream of Opal Springs) shall be managed for natural production consistent with the Wild Fish Management Alternative for trout;

(b) No hatchery fish shall be stocked in the mainstem Crooked River between Bowman Dam and Opal Springs, McKay Creek, and Ochoco Creek above Ochoco Reservoir;

(c) Rainbow trout in Ochoco Creek shall be managed for hatchery and natural production, consistent with the Basic Yield Management Alternative for trout. Rainbow trout in a stretch of the Crooked River below Opal Springs shall be managed for hatchery and natural production consistent with the Basic Yield Management Alternative for trout pending an evaluation of the impacts of the hatchery program on wild fish. After the completion of this evaluation, this section may be managed for natural production consistent with the Wild Fish Management Alternative for trout. Mountain whitefish shall be managed for natural production consistent with the Wild Fish Management Alternative for trout;

(d) Releases of hatchery rainbow trout in Ochoco Creek shall be confined from RM 3 to RM 5, and in the mainstem Crooked River shall be confined from RM 7 to RM 6;

(e) Smallmouth bass shall be managed for natural production consistent with the Basic Yield Alternative for warmwater fish. Hatchery warmwater fish species shall not be stocked in the mainstem Crooked River and tributaries below Prineville Reservoir.

(2) The following objectives apply for fish management and habitat improvement in the lower Crooked River:

(a) Protect or enhance genetic diversity, adaptiveness, and abundance of redband trout in the Crooked River and tributaries below Prineville Reservoir;

(b) Provide angling opportunities for redband trout, mountain whitefish and introduced rainbow trout in the mainstem Crooked River and tributaries below Prineville Reservoir;

(c) Provide harvest and angling opportunities for naturally produced and hatchery supplemented rainbow trout in Ochoco Creek through the City of Prineville;

(d) Provide angling opportunities for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and brown bullhead in the mainstem Crooked River below Prineville Reservoir where populations of these fishes currently exist at a low abundance;

(e) Maintain or improve instream flows for fish production in the lower Crooked River below Bowman Dam from uncontracted storage in Prineville Reservoir;

(f) Improve water quality in lower Crooked River below Prineville Reservoir, specifically for nitrogen supersaturation during high water runoff and sewage releases from the City of Prineville treatment plant. Improve water quality in Ochoco Creek, specifically for elevated levels of mercury;

(g) Provide additional public boat and bank angling access.

Or. Admin. Code § 635-500-1870

FWC 40-1996, f. 7-9-96, cert. ef. 7-10-96

Stat. Auth.: ORS 496.138, ORS 496.146 & ORS 506.119

Stats. Implemented: ORS 496.162, ORS 506.109 & ORS 506.129