Deschutes Fouled

Sun., Jan. 5, 1997

Associated Press

Protecting rivers

A recent fuel spill caused by a railroad accident along Oregon’s Deschutes River has drawn attention to the difficulty in protecting one of the region’s most cherished waterways.

The picturesque Deschutes is home to runs of both salmon and steelhead and is a favorite of whitewater enthusiasts. More than 15,000 anglers and 20,000 boaters use the river each year.

On Nov. 13, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe locomotive struck a rock that had tumbled onto the track, rupturing its fuel tank. Up to 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out, said Mike Renz of the state Department of Environmental Quality.

Steve Pribyl, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said it’s too early to tell if there will be long-term effects.

Pribyl said the absence of a full-blown geographic response plan poses a risk to the Deschutes.

Since October 1995, there have been 5 train accidents in the Deschutes Canyon. An average of six freight trains a day run through the canyon.

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