Little Deschutes River Bullfrog Control
Since 2017, 3 Rivers Environmental has conducted American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) removal in the Sunriver/Little Deschutes area south of Bend, OR. The threatened Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa; see image below) often falls prey to these larger, invasive frogs. The project involves summer night surveys for live capture, day surveys for egg masses, and winter work involving larvae capture. Work is in cooperation with the USFWS, ODFW, and USGS and includes working with private landowners to form partnerships for restoration projects along the Little Deschutes River.
Articles about the Little Deschutes River bullfrog removal project:
Bend Bulletin: One Woman’s Nightly War on Bullfrogs: https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/one-womans-nightly-war-on-bullfrogs/article_0c6c4b88-b260-11ea-b69b-3f23819a96d1.html
Bend Bulletin: Bullfrog Control Plan Makes Progress in Little Deschutes River: https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/environment/bullfrog-control-plan-makes-progress-in-little-deschutes-river/article_1f03de80-6d09-11ed-b17d-772ddf4f616d.html
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Taking a Leap of Faith: Harnessing the Power of Community in Conservation: https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-08/taking-leap-faith-harnessing-power-community-conservation
Rangewide Bull trout eDNA Project
In coordination with Native Fish Society, Trout Unlimited, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Forest Service, collection of Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) eDNA samples from the upper reaches of the Little Deschutes to determine occupation and possible restoration opportunities.
High Desert Museum – Natural History Pub presentation on eDNA & bull trout in the Deschutes Basin
Bull trout eDNA Lunch and Learn presentation: Native Fish Society
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) environmental DNA project in partnership with the Deschutes National Forest and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The current distribution of rainbow trout in the Little Deschutes River drainage is unknown. 3 Rivers Environmental collected a total of 34 eDNA samples along the river below Gilchrist with funding from the U.S. Forest Service and ODFW in the hopes of creating a current distribution map of rainbow trout in the drainage to determine fish passage and restoration priorities.