The Riverhouse stretch of the Deschutes was Jay's (my housemate) and my bread and butter run this winter. The put-in for this stretch of river is in downtown Bend and the shuttle is about a five minute drive. The Riverhouse allowed Jay and I the opportunity to get many days of skiing and kayaking in the same day. That's a good day!
The Riverhouse stretch is now dewatered for the entire summer. The water is diverted through another stretch of river and also through a series of canals. The canal system runs into the desert where it is used for irrigation. This opens up the question, Who has rights to the water? The nice thing about the Riverhouse being dewatered is that it does open up other opportunities for different kayaking options. However, this isn't always the case.
Here Jay is enjoying himself on a cold winter day in Bend. Jay has a nice write up about the dewatering of the Riverhouse at teamswain.blogspot.com. Check it out if you want more.
The Riverhouse is a great stretch of river for keeping those edges sharp. If you're in the Bend area during the winter or early spring and you have the skills, check out the Riverhouse stretch of the Deschutes. In the meantime do your part in the fight for water rights. I know this is a growing problem throughout the U.S. and the world. The last two summers I was traveling in CO and was amazed to find some river beds completely dry due to the diverting of water. That reminds me, it's time to renew my American Whitewater membership. You should too!
Have a good one. -J. Aytes
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