Thornburgh Resort: 3 golf courses, 900+ homes proposed for rural Tumalo

In December 2015, the Deschutes Board of County Commissioners denied approval for a massive new destination resort to be sited near Cline Buttes in rural Tumalo. 
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The developer has appealed this decision to the Land Use Board of Appeals. 

​What's proposed?

• 1,425 dwelling units including 900+ homes, 425 overnight units and a 50-room hotel
• three 18-hole golf courses and two clubhouses
• 20-acre water ski lake and 85 acres of water features
• commercial enterprises including a community center, shops and meeting and dining facilities

A typical golf course uses an estimated ONE MILLION GALLONS of groundwater per day. Multiple legal decisions have found that there will be negative impacts on Whychus Creek and fish from this resort. 

We oppose this proposal. Some key points: 

• Our water situation has gotten worse since this development was first proposed about ten years ago during the building boom. Drought, a fast-growing beer industry, climate change and a much larger population are some new factors.
• This proposal will result in higher water temperatures in Whychus Creek, resulting in a net loss of habitat and native fish.
• This resort is an outdated proposal that no longer fits with recreational trends or new water realities in Central Oregon.