The Deschutes River is a major waterway running through central Oregon, a tributary of the Columbia River that separates Oregon from Washington. The Deschutes flows through several central Oregon communities, the largest being Bend, where quite a bit of water from the river is used for irrigation. It's also a major recreational waterway, both in the city of Bend and the surrounding area, used for fishing (it's world-famous for fly fishing) and rafting.
Most rivers in the United States flow south, but the Deschutes flows north – along with a few other Columbia River tributaries. At one point, there was a major waterfall on the river, which is where it got its name – Riviere des Chutes is French for River of the Falls. That waterfall is gone now, thanks to The Dalles Dam.
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