Forty Years of WaterWatch
As we begin our 40th year we’re focused on the challenges before us as the Oregon legislative session is set to begin, and a new instream water right action alert arrives this week.
Annual Accomplishments Report
From groundwater reform to dam removals in the Rogue Basin to progress in the North Umpqua, 2024 was a busy year. There’s more at our End of the Year Accomplishments report.
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Click here for the latest edition of Currents, our biweekly email digest of WaterWatch news, media, and events, and visit our dedicated Currents page for back issues.
Our work
Rivers Need Water
Without WaterWatch, many of Oregon’s rivers and streams would run dry.
In almost every river basin in the state, there are simply too many water rights and not enough water to go around — especially in key dry months during the late summer into fall. And even now, in the 21st century, it can be perfectly legal in Oregon to drain our rivers until they are bone dry.
That’s what WaterWatch of Oregon works to prevent. For nearly 40 years, WaterWatch has protected and restored water to Oregon’s rivers, streams, and lakes for fish, wildlife, and people.
Our work isn’t glamorous. It can be difficult. We keep regulators accountable. We speak for the public interest. We pass balanced water legislation, and when necessary — we go to court. Our goal is to ensure a legacy of healthy rivers in Oregon.
There are dozens of interests working to take more and more water from Oregon’s streams and rivers. So if clean, abundant water is important to you, join WaterWatch today to ensure there is enough water in our rivers for that fish, wildlife, and people who depend on healthy rivers. Our quality of life depends on it.