Reclamation purchased the Oxbow property as part of a comprehensive anadromous fishery restoration program in the Umatilla River basin. The program implemented a series of water exchanges in which Columbia River water is pumped and delivered for use in the Umatilla Basin by irrigation districts in exchange for allowing Umatilla River water to benefit aquatic habitat. This water exchange allowed Reclamation to acquire water rights and property to improve habitat for the fishery. The Oxbow Site Management Plan will provide a framework for guiding present and future use of the site to ensure that such use is compatible with the restoration and protection of natural resources.

The plan is available on the internet at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/lcao_misc/draft-oxbowsiteplan.pdf. Please send your comments to Tanya Sommer, Natural Resource Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 750, Portland, OR 97232 by January 15, 2007. Copies of the plan are available by contacting Tanya Sommer.