Whychus Creek begins on the slopes of the Three Sisters volcano in the Cascade Mountains, and flows through forested terrain and high desert agricultural lands before joining the Deschutes near its confluence with Lake Billy Chinook. Like many streams in the Deschutes system, Whychus Creek was struggling to exist.

For decades, diversions of irrigation water from the Deschutes River left some creeks too shallow and warm to support fish, and others completely dry. Many small dams and culverts closed off channels or trapped fish, preventing their migration, and channel straightening, the dumping of riprap, and other changes to the structure and flow of the river had degraded habitat conditions.

In the 1990's, Whychus Creek became the subject of an intense restoration effort involving dozens of individuals and organizations who are currently working together to restore the creek’s health and function.