Fish on the Run, Irrigation Done!

Whether you use a hose or have an underground watering system to water your yard and garden, we are asking our water customers to help us keep water in the Clackamas River by reducing or shutting-off outdoor watering for the fall fish runs!

This has been a very different summer from last year.  This spring was the coolest and wettest we have had in a long time and was a welcomed change from the dryer and hotter springs we have had over the last few years. The cooler weather and rain also kept things greener much longer.

And then just like that we had 100-degree days, and we saw water use shoot up.  This huge increase in summer water use also means our drinking water treatment plants are running much more frequently and longer using more resources such as electricity, treatment supplies, and causing wear and tear on the facilities. And although Clackamas County is not currently experiencing drought conditions there is little precipitation forecast in the near future to supplement river flows, so You are KEY to ensuring there is enough water in the river as fish start migrating up the Clackamas River.

For the 6th year in a row, the CRWP are asking our customers to participate in our “Fish On the Run, Irrigation Done!” annual summer watering campaign. This annual campaign is designed to help the Clackamas River by reducing or shutting-off outdoor watering by the beginning of September for the fall Coho and Chinook salmon migration.

Balancing Water Supply and Demand

The balance between water supply and demand is crucial for ensuring the sustainable management of water resources for both people and fish. In our watershed the biggest factors that influence water supply is precipitation, or the amount of rainfall or snowfall that directly replenishes the Clackamas River.

As water providers we are required to ensure you have water from your tap 24/7/365 days a year, but we see our communities water use (demand) double and triple during the summer months due to outdoor watering. Therefore, the less water you use, the less water we need to take out of the river.

We have information, technical assistance, conservation rebates, free landscape water audits and other water saving tools that will help you save water both inside and outside the home, but you are the KEY to reducing how much water we take from the river.

Whether you use a hose or have an underground irrigation system to water your yard and garden, and you care about protecting our river water for people and wildlife, this is your chance to be part of our annual “Fish On the Run, Irrigation Done!” campaign. The more water we can conserve the easier this journey will be for these threatened andendangered salmon species.

The chart below from PGE shows typical migration patterns and the months when salmon runs peak.

Find out more about what
Portland General Electric is
doing for salmon species in the
Clackamas River click here:

PGE Clackamas Project

To help encourage our customers to do their best in conserving their drinking water we have developed a water conservation meter which is evaluated weekly and notifies us of current river conditions and how much water we need to conserve. Currently our conservation meter is RED telling us the river levels are significantly low and we all need to “Reduce or turn off outdoor watering to keep water in the in the river for the Coho and Fall Chinook species.” Although Clackamas County is not currently experiencing drought conditions, until we get fall rains to help replenish the river, we all need to look at how to reduce our outdoor and indoor water use.

To see the current water meter conditions, go to the Home Page. Click Here 

Current Drought Numbers in Clackamas County

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According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Clackamas Oregon is currently Abnormally Dry (D0), and predicts that drought conditions are not likely to develop over the next month. 

 Current Drought Numbers in Clackamas County

• 0 people in Clackamas County are currently affected by drought.
• 0% of people in Clackamas County are affected by drought.
• 46^th driest July on record, over the past 130 years Decrease of 0.63 inches from normal.
• 40th wettest year to date over the past 130 years (January – July 2024) increase of 3.97 inches from normal.

Check out the resources below to find out what kind of changes you can make to your outdoor watering to ensure that you are using our drinking water in the most efficient ways possible. The more water we can keep in the river the easier this journey will be for these threatened and endangered salmon species.  Some of these resources are not availalbe to City of Lake Oswego or City of Tigard customers.

Do Your Part to Keep Water in the Clackamas River.