The Deschutes Habitat Conservation Plan and the Proposed Listing of the Oregon Spotted Frog For several years, Swalley  Irrigation District and Central Oregon’s other irrigation districts (Districts), and the City of Prineville, have been developing the Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).  Our HCP is meant to improve habitat for federally listed species such as bull trout and steelhead, while enabling the Districts to continue all of their traditional water management activities, including storing water in and releasing it from Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs.  One of the species we have been evaluating as part of our HCP is the Oregon spotted frog.  Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposed listing this frog under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).  If listed, it would be illegal to “harm” this frog. In the next few weeks, the Service is expected to list the Oregon spotted frog as a “threatened” species under the ESA.  This listing, which would occur in the States of Oregon and Washington, may present significant challenges for managing the Deschutes Basin’s water supplies.  Farmers, ranchers, and the Districts have been working diligently with the Service and other local, state and federal agencies, conservation groups, and others to address the needs of many different species of fish and wildlife, but this listing could make our work even more challenging. The frog situation is complicated.  Water supplies could be called upon from Central Oregon reservoirs like Crane Prairie, Wickiup, or Crescent Lake at the same time water normally would be stored in these reservoirs for the upcoming irrigation season.  And if there were storage releases in winter or spring for the frogs, those releases may conflict with efforts through the HCP to provide more water in the summer for steelhead, bull trout and salmon. For these and other reasons, the success of our HCP is very important.  Later this month, the Districts and the City will propose conservation measures for several species, including Oregon spotted frog, to the federal agencies.  We will also brief the public and other stakeholders.  While we do not expect final approval of our HCP until next year, we wanted to make sure you are aware of our work on this matter.  If you would like to know more about our HCP, please call the District office.  If you would like to learn more about the Oregon spotted frog, please see the links below.  On behalf of Central Oregon’s primary irrigation districts, the Deschutes Basin Board of Control will continue to work closely with all involved to ensure that a decision to list the Oregon spotted frog under the ESA complements our conservation efforts in the Deschutes Basin, and does not result in unnecessary complications. For the Service’s proposed listing of the Oregon spotted frog, see: http://www.fws.gov/wafwo/species/osf/OSF_pListing_FR.pdf. For the Service’s proposed critical habitat designation for the Oregon spotted frog, see:  http://www.fws.gov/wafwo/species/osf/OSF_pCriticalHabitat_FR.pdf. For the Service’s news release regarding the proposed listing and designation, see: http://www.fws.gov/wafwo/species/osf/OSF%20NR%20%20Final%20approved.pdf.