Crooked River Wetlands Complex

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Prineville Sewer Ponds - THE PRINEVILLE SEWER PONDS ARE NO LONGER ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.  PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENTER THIS FACILITY!  WE HOPE THIS WILL BE A TEMPORARY SITUATION SO WE ARE STILL INCLUDING THIS IMPORTANT LOCATION IN THE SITE GUIDE.  WATCH FOR FUTURE UPDATES.

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Seasons

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Location

Leave Prineville north on the O’Neil Hwy 370 (leaves Hwy 126 just west of the bridge over the Crooked River) and travel NW for 2.1 miles to the Wetlands entrance.

For a bird checklist and a photo essay on the bird life at the Wetlands, go to the Crooked River Wetlands Complex website.

Directions

Habitat and Birds

These ponds (opened in the spring of 2017) are part of the Prineville Sewage Treatment complex and are open to the public.  Great lengths were taken to design ponds that would be bird friendly.  There are big ponds, small ponds, deep ponds and shallow ponds.  Some ponds have vegetation, and some do not.  This variety promises to make this location one of the best in Central Oregon.  Shorebirds and waterfowl are the main attractions here but as the area matures, other species may be attracted to its diverse set of habitats. Unusual species seen here include Tundra Bean-goose, Ruddy Turnstone, both golden-plovers, Red Knot, Little Gull, Great-tailed Grackle, and Swamp Sparrow making these wetlands the primier birding location in the county.

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