Tribes seek input as Central Oregon development promises to use less water

One of the largest groups of Indigenous tribes in Oregon has asked for a seat at the table in discussing the controversial Thornburgh Resort planned in Central Oregon.

The request came as the Deschutes County Commission on Wednesday mulled an appeal from Thornburgh’s developers, after a county hearings officer rejected the resort’s new Fish and Wildlife Management Plan in December, saying the developers had shown little evidence they could mitigate the loss of wildlife and water.

Deschutes County code requires that destination resorts result in “no net less” of fish and wildlife habitat in order to be approved.

The proposed resort, located just southwest of Redmond, has been tied up in litigation for nearly two decades, with opponents arguing it could negatively affect water supplies and wildlife in the surrounding area. Thornburgh has also faced increased scrutiny as Oregon leaders have started to more closely examine declining groundwater levels in the state.

Despite the attention and legal hang-ups, construction on the resort is already underway and water rights surrounding the proposal are making their way through the courts.

In the new management plan, Thornburgh developers said they would reduce the annual number of gallons consumed annually by 35% compared to a previously approved 2008 plan.