Events

Presentation on Limiting Water Use Exemptions for Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

Wednesday, July 22, 2026
6 to 7:30 p.m.

Multnomah County Albina Library
205 NE Russell St.
Community Room 1A
Portland, OR 97212

In 2023, WaterWatch was part of a coalition that successfully passed SB 85, a landmark bill that reformed permitting for confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and limited “stockwatering” without a permit as part of a modernization of Oregon water law.

Unfortunately, the water provisions in SB 85 are temporary and set to expire next year, so WaterWatch and our coalition partners are pursuing further legislation to make the limits permanent.

WaterWatch staff attorney Brian Posewitz will explain the situation and what you can do to help at a meeting in Portland next Wednesday, July 22nd, at the Multnomah County Albina Library at 205 NE Russell Street — and you’re invited to attend. The meeting is free of charge, and begins at 6 p.m.

Paddling Across Time — A Hayes River Journey

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2026
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Hopworks Brewing
Powell Mothership Location
2944 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202

In conjunction with the Lower Columbia Canoe Club, WaterWatch is thrilled to present Portland adventurer Lee Sessions, who has ventured to the Far North on more than 35 canoe expeditions in pursuit of a lifelong passion for paddling and rediscovering the routes of early explorers, as he presents “Paddling Across Time,” a presentation that follows Lee and his crew as they recount their 2025 self‑supported canoe expedition down Nunavut’s remote Hayes River — a seldom traveled route north of the Arctic Circle in Inuktitut, Canda’s largest, northernmost, and newest territory.

Drawing on research and interviews with past travelers, Lee and his team explore how motivations for undertaking northern journeys have evolved over time. Their own experience — six paddlers navigating a challenging Arctic river — offers a contemporary lens on the pull of wilderness, the meaning found in shared effort, and the deep connections forged through travel in the North. The Hayes also has a special connection with famed Oregon explorer Frederick Schwatka.

Join us for this very special event at Hopworks Brewery on Powell Blvd. Tuesday, Sept. 13th. The presentation will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.