The Dalles, OR. — City officials in The Dalles are backing federal legislation aimed at strengthening long-term water reliability, wildfire resilience, and watershed management.
The proposed Dalles Watershed Development Act (H.R. 655) would transfer approximately 150 acres of federal land to the City, consolidating ownership around the Crow Creek Reservoir and associated infrastructure. City leaders say the change would simplify management of a watershed that supplies roughly 70–80% of the community’s annual water needs.
According to the City, the land transfer represents less than 1% of the total 22,000-acre watershed but includes critical areas surrounding the dam, spillway, and reservoir. Officials argue that unified ownership would reduce administrative complexity currently shared with the U.S. Forest Service and improve coordination for future maintenance or upgrades.
The legislation does not alter existing water rights or authorize new water withdrawals. Any future reservoir expansion—long identified in city planning documents—would require separate environmental reviews, permits, and public engagement processes.
City planning documents indicate that expansion of the Crow Creek Reservoir has been under consideration for decades, with potential construction projected around 2050 to address population growth and climate-related pressures such as reduced snowpack and increased drought risk.
Officials also emphasized that the proposal would not dedicate water to any single private user and would continue to serve the entire community through the municipal system.
Environmental impacts would be addressed in future project-specific reviews, and current restrictions on public access to the municipal watershed would remain unchanged.
Supporters say consolidating control of key watershed lands would allow the City to better prepare for long-term water supply challenges while maintaining compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements.
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