Written by Peter Pearsall/Photo by Travis Miller, MNWR Supervisory Ecologist

From Ed Moulton, Malheur Refuge Maintenance Supervisor: “The water coming in from the north has slowed and the evacuation levels in town were recently lifted. We are still waiting on snowmelt from Steens Mountain. There is approximately 48 inches of water still up there—we have had some come down, but it is still holding pretty tight with the cooler temps. The Blitzen River has been averaging around 400 cfs for the last couple of weeks. I expect that to start to come up in the next week or two, with warmer weather and rain in the forecast. The P-Ranch and Buena Vista Units are still open to the public but could see closures in the next month or two. With the water to come, I anticipate that there will be water over roads and possible washouts, as well as infrastructure that will need to be repaired. Double 0 Unit is very wet; Silver Creek has been flowing for the last two months and there is still water to come. The North Road is closed to staff and partners due to washouts and there is water over 50% of the road.”