Wasco County considers supporting federal transfer of 150 watershed acres to City of The Dalles; skeptics call out Google influence
In this image from 2022, then Councilor Darcy Long, Mayor Rich Mays and The Dalles City Manager Matthew Klebes and two others get a photo at the groundbreaking for the Dog River Pipeline - a project that took 10 years to complete, in part because of federal permitting. The US Senate is now considering giving 150 acres near Crow Creek Reservoir to the City of The Dalles, to cut red tape as city embarks on massive rebuild of potable water infrastructure.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore, March 2, 2026 — Wasco County commissioners will consider formally backing federal legislation to transfer approximately 150 acres of watershed land to the City of The Dalles, a move officials say is critical to securing the region’s primary drinking water source and ensuring long-term water security.
Red pin above shows location of Crow Creek Dam in The Dalles Watershed. U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz introduced the bill to give 150 acres of U.S. Forest Service property near the dam to The City of The Dalles. It passed the House and is is waiting in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The reservoir is 13 miles northeast of Mount Hood. Water is released from it into South Mill Creek that leads to the Wix Water Treatment plant on Mill Creek Road.
However, Columbia Riverkeeper, WaterWatch of Oregon, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, the Sierra Club Oregon Chapter and Oregon Wild have sent a letter to U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley urging them to oppose H.R. 655.
The groups argue the proposed transfer of roughly 150 acres of federal land could facilitate expanded municipal water access that ultimately benefits Google’s data center operations in The Dalles, while raising concerns about impacts to salmon habitat, reduced federal environmental review and what they describe as a precedent-setting public land giveaway.
The proposed land transfer comes against a backdrop of yearslong efforts by the City of The Dalles to upgrade its watershed infrastructure under federal permitting requirements. The 3.5-mile Dog River Pipeline replacement — which addressed a line that was leaking an estimated 1 million gallons of water per day during peak runoff — spent more than a decade in planning, environmental review and permitting before construction moved forward.
At the same time, critics of H.R. 655 argue the timing of the legislation raises concerns, noting Google is expanding data center operations in The Dalles that are expected to significantly increase industrial water demand by millions of gallons per day.
The County’s proposed support letter for H.R. 655, known as The Dalles Watershed Development Act, would transfer ownership of federally managed land to the city, eliminating recurring special-use permits and allowing more direct management of municipal water infrastructure. The watershed serves as the primary drinking water source for the county’s largest population center, and officials say the legislation would help ensure reliable water supply and infrastructure stability through at least 2040.
The transfer would include strict legal restrictions limiting use of the land exclusively to municipal water infrastructure, while maintaining environmental oversight, including tribal consultation and federal regulatory review.
In addition to federal watershed legislation, commissioners will consider approving several significant youth services and prevention funding agreements totaling more than $275,000.
Key funding and contract actions include:
• $127,391 state grant to support Wasco County’s Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Intervention Team, which provides coordinated services for child abuse victims through June 2027.
• Extension of a specialized data evaluation and epidemiological consulting contract through 2030, with services billed at $80 per hour and capped at $40,000 annually.
• Approval of $40,012.44 in outstanding payments to Mid-Columbia Center for Living for gambling prevention services, including reimbursement for unpaid services and state cost-of-living adjustments.
• Approval of a new intergovernmental agreement providing $117,566.80 in total funding through June 2027 for continued gambling addiction prevention programs serving Wasco and Sherman counties.
Together, these agreements support long-term youth prevention, addiction education and intervention programs aimed at reducing substance abuse, gambling addiction and child abuse across the region.
Commissioners will also receive a Rowena Fire recovery update, providing one of the first formal reports on ongoing housing and disaster recovery efforts following the wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes in 2025.
Additional public hearings include consideration of amendments to the county’s land use and development ordinance and revisions to the Land Corner Preservation Fund, which supports surveying and protection of legal property boundaries.
The Wasco County Board of Commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 4, at the Wasco County Courthouse, 401 E. Third St., in The Dalles, with virtual participation available via Zoom.
