By April Ehrlich | Jan. 15, 2026 | Oregon Public Broadcasting
The Dalles is trying to expand its water reservoir — and it’s turning to Congress in a quest to acquire part of the Mount Hood National Forest to do so. That’s prompting concerns from environmental groups and local residents. They’re worried both about the ecological cost to fish and wildlife, and about whether the extra water will really go to local homes and businesses — or if The Dalles wants to draw water from the Mount Hood forest to slake the tech industry’s growing thirst for data centers.
“The notion that this water is somehow for drinking water for residents of the city, it’s just a fallacy,” said John DeVoe, senior advisor at WaterWatch of Oregon, an environmental nonprofit. “Obviously, the great driver of demand for water in The Dalles is Google.”
Find the rest of this story at the Oregon Public Broadcasting website, posted on Jan. 15, 2026. WaterWatch of Oregon makes no claim to this story or content. Banner photo by Tommy Hough.