Oregon Court of Appeals Upholds Order Against McKenzie River Water Speculators Another Victory for McKenzie River and WaterWatch November 15, 2017 Order available here. Mckenzie River by Doug Heiken Today, the Oregon Court of Appeals upheld a final order denying the Willamette Water Company’s controversial application for a permit to withdraw 34 cubic feet per second (22 million gallons per day) …
2016 Oregon Legislative Roundup
2016 Oregon Legislative Roundup The short session of the 2016 Oregon State Legislature was not for the faint of heart. With over 250 bills to consider, and Republicans’ dramatic stalling tactics causing disarray, the session quickly became tense – and stayed that way. The results for rivers were mixed. A handful of non- controversial bills and budget adjustments which benefitted …
Op-Ed: Eastern Oregon is running out of water
Op-Ed: Eastern Oregon is running out of water By Dorys C. Grover East Oregonian September 9, 2016 Water, one day, may be the drink of choice. We will be thirsty. One day we may find our high groundwater extraction has caused our aquifers to run out of water. There may come a day when our government will designate the amount …
Special Report: Draining Oregon
Special Report: Draining Oregon, Oregonian, August 26, 2016 In-depth analysis of state water management found farmers in a quarter of eastern Oregon, the driest part of the state, are allowed to pump more underground water each year than rains deposit. The water giveaway threatens economic chaos and hurts fish and wildlife.
2015 Legislative Roundup
2015 Legislative Roundup With the help of WaterWatch members, the 2015 legislative session ended with critical agency funding intact, the defeat of a slew of bad water bills, and the elevation of a number of important policy issues. We could not have done it without you! Your voices were critical to our success this year. Some of our wins from …
Miners go to court over suction dredge moratorium
Miners go to court over suction dredge moratorium By Mark Freeman Medford Mail Tribune October 21, 2015 Miners have asked a federal judge to block Oregon’s upcoming moratorium on suction dredge mining in wild salmon rivers such as the Rogue, claiming federal mining laws trump state restrictions on federal lands. A consortium of mining interests filed suit Monday in U.S. …
Guest Opinion: Removal of obsolete dams benefits rivers, the public and landowners
Guest Opinion: Removal of obsolete dams benefits rivers, the public and landowners By Jim McCarthy and Tonya Graham Medford Mail-Tribune September 6, 2015 Demolition crews knock out first notch in Wimer Dam on Evans Creek, a tributary of the Rogue River. Photo by Scott Wright, River Design Group. In recent years, the growing number of successful removals of obsolete dams …
Is Lake Oswego too thirsty for the Clackamas to handle?
Is Lake Oswego too thirsty for the Clackamas to handle? Lake Oswego wants the ability to take another 22 million gallons a day from the Clackamas River. Conservationists fear fish won’t survive. by Sara Roth KGW.com August 4, 2015 PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland metro area may be protected from the drought that’s encompassing the majority of Oregon, but …
2014 Oregon Legislature Short Session Ends With a Whimper
2014 Oregon Legislature Short Session Ends With a Whimper The Oregon Legislature’s 2014 short session, limited to 35 days, proved once again that politicians should not attempt large-scale policy changes within short time windows. With over three hundred bills to consider and move out of the original chamber of origin within two weeks, the initial pace was nothing short of …
WaterWatch of Oregon’s Statement Opposing Measure 26-156
For Immediate Release April 1, 2014 WaterWatch of Oregon’s Statement Opposing Measure 26-156 As an organization that has worked since 1985 to protect and restore flows in Oregon’s rivers to sustain the native fish, wildlife, and people who depend on healthy rivers, WaterWatch of Oregon strongly opposes Measure 26-156. Measure 26-156 would result in the elimination of valuable City of …
Oregon Water Resources Department Denies Water Permit to Willamette Water Company
March 10, 2014 Oregon Water Resources Department Denies Water Permit to Willamette Water Company Victory for McKenzie River and WaterWatch On March 7, 2014, the Oregon Water Resources Department issued a final order denying the Willamette Water Company’s controversial application for a permit to withdraw 34 cubic feet per second (22 million gallons per day) from the McKenzie River. The state’s decision …
WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding Announcement of a Klamath Basin Water Agreement
For Immediate Release March 5, 2014 WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding Announcement of a Klamath Basin Water Agreement While reducing upper basin irrigation water demand by 30,000 acre-feet is a welcome step in the right direction, it is nowhere near enough to solve the profound water imbalance impacting the entire Klamath Basin. Joining this positive new agreement with the controversial …
2013 Oregon Legislature Roundup
2013 Oregon Legislature Roundup Water issues were front and center during Oregon’s 2013 legislative session, and WaterWatch was there promoting sound policies and defending against efforts to undermine protections for our rivers and streams. Here’s a summary of how our top legislative priorities fared in 2013: Water Resources Department Budget In what could been viewed as one of the biggest …
Conservationists, Fishing Interests Respond to U.S. Treaty Recommendation for Columbia River
Center for Environmental Law & Policy * WaterWatch of Oregon * Pacific Rivers Council Save Our Wild Salmon * Sierra Club * Columbia Institute for Water Policy For Immediate Release Conservationists, Fishing Interests Respond to U.S. Treaty Recommendation for Columbia River December 13, 2013 Contacts: Pat Ford (SOS) 208.345-9067 pford@wildidaho.org (Boise) Rachael Paschal Osborn (Columbia Institute for Water Policy) 509.939-1290 …
Senators Merkley and Wyden Introduce Crooked River Collaborative Water Security Act of 2013
Statement by Kimberley Priestley, WaterWatch of Oregon’s Senior Policy Analyst, on the November 21, 2013 introduction of the Crooked River Collaborative Water Security Act: “This collaborative bill is a blueprint for a healthier Crooked River and secure water supply for local communities, backed by a broad coalition of irrigation, municipal, tribal and conservation interests. It will bring significant benefits to …