Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative: Restoring Wetlands, Supporting Ranchers, and Conserving Wildlife in Eastern Oregon
The Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative (HBWC) is a broad, community-based coalition working to restore Malheur Lake and the wet meadow working lands of Harney Basin in Eastern Oregon. Bringing together ranchers, conservation partners, tribal members, and agency staff, HBWC addresses the most pressing ecological and economic challenges facing the region — from invasive carp removal and floodplain reconnection to stewarding critical habitat along the Pacific Flyway.
$8 Million OWEB Grant Funds Six Years of Harney Basin Wetland Restoration
On April 24, 2024, the Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative was awarded more than $8 million from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board's (OWEB) Focused Investment Partnership (FIP) program — one of the most significant conservation investments in the region's history. Distributed over six years, this funding supports the ranchers, migratory birds, and wildlife species who depend on Harney Basin wetlands for their survival.
Funded activities include:
- Invasive carp reduction in Malheur Lake
- Control of invasive plant species
- Replacement of aging flood irrigation infrastructure
- Floodplain reconnection and riparian restoration
- Malheur Lake and broader wetlands restoration
$3.1 Million in Additional Funding Secured Through Collaborative Consensus
In 2023, the HBWC built consensus around a refreshed vision and goals — a process that directly unlocked $2.5 million in Oregon legislative funding and an additional $600,000 through OWEB's Open Solicitation program. These funds were awarded jointly to the Collaborative, the Harney Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Harney County Watershed Council.
Together, these investments make it possible to implement interconnected restoration projects that influence how water moves and is managed across the Harney Basin — directly benefiting both wildlife habitat and the livelihoods of local ranchers and farmers.
Malheur Lake Recovery: Clear Water Returns After Carp Removal
The summer of 2023 brought a remarkable ecological milestone to Malheur Lake. After two dry years followed by a robust snowpack and wet spring, fresh water flooded the lake in near-ideal quantities. The preceding drought had allowed bottom sediments to consolidate and oxygenate, enabling a diverse range of wetland plants to take root.
The dry period also sharply reduced invasive Common carp populations. Combined with a targeted removal effort in fall 2022 — during which refuge staff, HBWC partners, and others removed 43 tons of carp — the conditions aligned to produce uncommonly clear water conditions across a substantial portion of the lake. These results reflect years of research and coordinated action by the Collaborative.
Learn more: Watch the short video below to see what HBWC and its partners have learned about Malheur Lake. Read the full article: Why Malheur Lake Is Critical to the Harney Basin and Beyond. Explore scientific research on nonnative Common carp control on the Resources page.
Wild Flood Irrigation: How Harney County Ranchers Benefit Birds and the Pacific Flyway
A common misconception is that agricultural water use comes at the expense of wildlife. In Harney County, the opposite is true. The wild flood irrigation practices used by local ranchers in this closed basin create expansive wetland habitat that supports both the region's agriculture economy and an extraordinary array of bird and wildlife species. Spatial Ecologist Patrick Donnelly explains: "Farmers and producers are often criticized for taking water away from wildlife, but if you look more closely at places like the Harney Basin in Harney County, OR, the opposite is true."
The Harney Basin is one of the most important rest and refueling stops along the Pacific Flyway — one of the continent's major migratory bird routes — for waterfowl, shorebirds, and other species traveling thousands of miles each year. Maintaining healthy flood-irrigated wet meadows is essential to keeping this habitat productive.
Learn more: Watch the short film by Kevin Raichl with Visual Thinking Northwest on wild flood irrigation in the Harney Basin. On the Resources page, read Harney County Rancher Caring For The Land for an example of a landowner investing in flood irrigation improvements for both her business and the habitat.
Dam Replacements Restore Water Flow and Expand Habitat Availability
Infrastructure upgrades along the Silvies River are improving how water moves through the Harney Basin landscape. In 2019, the replacement of the Tyler and Sweek Dams (both more than 70 years old ) and replacement of the Rose Dam in 2023 — provided fish passage and restored natural water flow and expanded habitat availability for wildlife and landowners alike.
Also upgraded in 2023 was the Cote Dam. According to Gary Marshall who owns the land where the Cote Dam is situated: “It’s going to be a structure that will be there for a long, long time. The idea is to be able to continue with this flood irrigation surface water down through this valley so we can get the benefits out of that.” It will also help the wildlife and birds that use the 3,000 acres of wet meadow habitat, and when the water comes in high flows, it will recharge the aquifer. “These are all the things that come with well managed surface irrigation,” Marshall said.
Dam upgrades along the Donner und Blitzen River are having a similar impact. The Dunn Dam was replaced with a rock chute structure in 2024 making way for fish passage and the return of this portion of the river to its natural state.
Learn more: Read the full articles Dam Replacement Projects Benefit Landowners and Wildlife, Cote and Rose Dams Receive Much Needed Replacement and Collaborative Effort Saves Mussels and Fish During Dam Replacement on the Resources page, and watch before-and-after video footage (below) of the Sweek Dam replacement.
Dunn Dam Before and After With the Rock Chute Structure Replacement
8,154 Mussels and 6,500 Fish Rescued During Dunn Dam Replacement
In fall 2024, the replacement of the aging Dunn Dam on the Donner und Blitzen River became something even bigger than a infrastructure project — it became a multi-species rescue operation.
Before construction could begin, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge staff and the Xerces Society flagged that mussel beds surrounding the dam would face a significant mortality event during dewatering. What followed was a 2.5-week hands-on salvage effort — staff and volunteers sitting elbow-deep in mud, carefully easing mussels out of the riverbed by hand. In total, 8,154 western ridged mussels were relocated to a new stretch of the Blitzen River, and more than 6,500 fish representing over 10 species were saved using electrofishing techniques.
The western ridged mussel — a filter feeder that improves water quality by reducing turbidity and controlling nutrient levels — was petitioned for Endangered Species Act listing in 2020. Its survival in the Blitzen River is a direct result of collaborative action.
Learn more: Read the full article Collaborative Effort Saves Mussels and Fish During Dam Replacement.
Sustaining Landscape-Scale Conservation
In January 2016, OWEB awarded more than $6 million Focused Investment Partnership funds to HBWC, leveraging over $2 million in matching funds. This foundational investment made possible a suite of interconnected research, restoration, and community-building achievements across the Harney Basin.
Key Program Outcomes
- Expanded knowledge of invasive carp distribution, behavior, and control methods to support Malheur Lake restoration.
- Developed a shared systems science model to understand the unique ecology of this closed-basin lake and prioritize resource use.
- Improved understanding of water table and plant community dynamics in flood-irrigated wet meadows, with new tools for land managers adapting to climate change.
- Added flood irrigation infrastructure to enhance wet meadow management for both wildlife and ranching operations.
- Strengthened community relationships by engaging landowners, community groups, and partners in local conservation and natural resource stewardship.
- Established a coordinated, multi-partner monitoring framework to track progress and quantify outcomes.
Restoration Results by the Numbers
- 4,000 acres of flood-irrigated wet meadow habitat enhanced through infrastructure improvements
- 2 aging in-stream irrigation structures replaced; 2 fish ladders installed to support fish passage once invasive carp are cleared
- 1 automated flood-irrigated wet meadow system installed, delivering irrigation to 300 acres of spring migratory bird habitat and hay production fields
- 654 acres of floodplain habitat reconnected
- Significantly advanced scientific understanding of why Malheur Lake has persisted in a turbid state — and identified pathways back to a productive hemi-marsh ecosystem
Research and Planning Highlights
- 5 technical designs completed for flood irrigation infrastructure upgrades
- Malheur Lake restoration feasibility analyses completed, including a collaborative summit to evaluate the best options for next-phase restoration
- Mesocosm studies conducted in Malheur Lake to evaluate different restoration approaches, bridging laboratory findings and real-world conditions
- State and transition model developed to communicate the dynamics of wet meadow ecosystem change — including implications for managing flood-irrigated meadow succession under shifting climate conditions
Basin-Wide Monitoring
- Aquatic health study completed for multiple water quality metrics across the basin
- Basin-wide fish distribution study completed, including eDNA sampling to establish baseline fisheries data
- Avian habitat relationships study completed to understand how plant communities and water regimes influence bird species use of the basin
Frequently Asked Questions About Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative
Why is Malheur Lake important?
Malheur Lake is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the western United States and a cornerstone of the Pacific Flyway. It provides critical resting and foraging habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each year, as well as supporting diverse fish, mammal, and plant communities. Its restoration is vital to the ecological and economic health of Harney County.
What is wild flood irrigation, and why does it matter for wildlife?
Wild flood irrigation is a traditional agricultural practice in which water is released across low-lying fields to irrigate pastures and hay meadows. In Harney County's closed basin, this practice creates extensive seasonal wetlands that benefit migratory birds and other wildlife — turning working rangelands into some of the most productive bird habitat in the Pacific Northwest.
What is the Pacific Flyway?
The Pacific Flyway is one of four major North American bird migration routes, stretching from Alaska and western Canada down to Central and South America. Millions of waterfowl, shorebirds, and other migratory species travel this route each year, relying on key stopover points like the Harney Basin to rest and refuel.
What is the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB)?
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) is a state agency that provides grants and other resources to support voluntary efforts to restore and protect Oregon's streams, wetlands, and other natural areas. OWEB's Focused Investment Partnership (FIP) program provides multi-year, collaborative funding for landscape-scale restoration projects like those led by HBWC.
