By Jim McCarthy | Oct. 30, 2023 | The Osprey At least 550,000 juvenile Pacific lamprey were killed this summer due to the botched repair of Winchester Dam on Oregon’s North Umpqua River. On October 6th, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) filed a $27.6 million claim for recovery of damages in the […]
By Gloria Coleman | Oct. 27, 2023 | Roseburg News-Review The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued two enforcement orders to pay civil penalties Thursday morning, one against the Winchester Water Control District and one against TerraFirma Foundation Repair Inc. Both of these fines are related to water quality violations during repairs on the Winchester
Winchester Water Control District Fined $100,000 by State DEQ Read More »
By Alex Baumhardt | Oct. 27, 2023 | Oregon Capital Chronicle The operators of Winchester Dam in Oregon face more than $134,000 in fines for water violations on top of $27.6 million for killing lamprey. The operators of a southern Oregon dam and the company that repaired it face additional fines for violating state permits
By Ian James | Oct. 27, 2023 | Los Angeles Times The company that sells Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water is suing to challenge California regulators’ recent ruling that the company must stop taking much of the water it pipes from the San Bernardino National Forest for bottling. BlueTriton Brands filed the lawsuit this month in
Arrowhead Bottled Water Company Sues to Continue Piping from California Forest Read More »
By Zach Urness | Oct. 26, 2023 | Salem Statesman Journal The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued fines totaling over $134,000 against the operators of Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River outside Roseburg on Thursday for water quality violations. DEQ fined Winchester Water Control District and TerraFirma Foundation Repair Inc. for discharging concrete
Oregon Fines Winchester Dam Owners $134,000 for Water Quality Violations Read More »
By Taylar Ansures | Oct. 26, 2023 | KOBI News The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued two enforcement orders for the Winchester Water Control District and contractor TerraFirma for violations that happened during Winchester Dam repairs over the summer. According to DEQ, Winchester Water Control District is being fined $106,778 for violating at least
DEQ Fines Winchester Dam Owners for Water Violations from Dam Repair Read More »
By Hiroko Tabuchi | Oct. 24, 2023 | New York Times When Maine lawmakers tried to rein in large-scale access to the state’s freshwater this year, the effort initially gained momentum. The state had just emerged from drought, and many Mainers were sympathetic to protecting their snow-fed lakes and streams. Then a Wall Street-backed giant
Inside Poland Spring’s Hidden Attack on Water Rules It Didn’t Like Read More »
By Joe Siess and Tim Trainor | Oct. 16, 2023 | Redmond Spokesman The state, which has proposed new rules to Oregon’s groundwater permitting process, has signaled the city of Redmond’s application for a future groundwater permit would likely be denied. The Oregon Water Resources Department is reviewing the city’s application and taking a second
State Signals It’s Likely to Deny Redmond’s Application for Future Groundwater Read More »
By Gloria Coleman | Oct. 7, 2023 | Roseburg News-Review The Winchester Water Control District and associated contractors are facing a more than $27.5 million claim, which was filed Friday in Douglas County Circuit Court, for their role in the loss of juvenile Pacific lamprey during recent repairs of the Winchester Dam. “The number of
$27.6 Million Lawsuit Filed for Lamprey Loss During Winchester Dam Repairs Read More »
By Alanna Mayham | Oct. 6, 2023 | Courthouse News The multimillion-dollar claim by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday arrives after weeks of advocacy over dam repairs that killed at least 550,000 Pacific lamprey. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a $27.6 million claim for recovery damages against the
Oregon Demands $28 Million for Massive Fish Kill and Water Violations at Winchester Dam Read More »
By Erik Neumann | Oct. 6, 2023 | Jefferson Public Radio Oregon is suing for more than $27 million in damages from the owners of a private dam near Roseburg after repairs led to a massive fish kill. More than half a million Pacific lamprey died during repairs at the Winchester Dam on the North
State Seeks $27.6 Million from Winchester Dam Owners After Summer Repair Work Read More »
By Claire Rush | Oct. 6, 2023 | Associated Press Oregon officials are seeking more than $27 million in damages over dam repairs they say killed more than half a million Pacific lamprey fish in what they’ve described as one of the largest damages claims for illegal killing of wildlife in state history. In a
By Shaun Hall | Oct. 6, 2023 | Rogue Valley Times Fish have a bit more room to roam now that a 13-foot-high dam has been removed from a tributary of the Illinois River near Selma in Josephine County. The dam was removed in recent days from a property that decades ago operated as a
Fish-Blocking Dam Removed from Takelma Ceek at Ranch Frequented by John Wayne Read More »
By Izzie Lund | Oct. 4, 2023 | KDRV News Crews have finished demolishing a 13-foot-high, 70-foot-wide dam in an effort to restore salmon and steelhead habitat in Takelma Creek, according to a news release from WaterWatch of Oregon. “(The project) opened access to approximately 3.5 miles of formerly blocked spawning and rearing habitat for
Crews Demolish Dam in Takelma Creek, Restore Access for Salmon Read More »
By Becky McRae and Bill Black | Oct. 3, 2023 | Roseburg News-Review Too Many Questions Linger on Winchester Dam The North Umpqua River is the reason Zane Grey left the Rogue River. The river enjoyed the fishing of Jimmy Carter when he was President of the United States, it welcomed author and fisherman Jack
Douglas County Residents Sound Off On Winchester Dam in Roseburg News-Review Read More »
By Emily Cureton Cook | Oct. 2, 2023 | Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon water managers are considering the most consequential water policy changes the state has seen in decades. These changes would crack down on new groundwater rights, making it more difficult for people to drill wells. Advocates say this is critical to protect the
Central Oregon Cities Poke Holes in State Plans to Tighten Groundwater Rules Read More »
By Alex Baumhardt | Sept. 27, 2023 | Oregon Capital Chronicle The operators and renovators of a controversial dam on the Umpqua River in southern Oregon could face state fines and civil penalties following repairs that killed hundreds of thousands of fish and resulted in environmental violations. The privately owned Winchester Dam north of Roseburg
State Considers Penalties, Fines After Umpqua River Dam Repair Kills Thousands of Fish Read More »
By Jane Vaughan | Sept. 27, 2023 | Jefferson Public Radio Dam repair work on the North Umpqua River in August and early September led to hundreds of thousands of lamprey dying. There are now questions about accountability for the repair work that was done at the Winchester Dam near Roseburg. Representatives from the Oregon
After Fish Kill, a Search for Accountability at Winchester Dam Read More »
By Emily Cureton Cook | Sept. 27, 2023 | Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon water regulators are poised to change how they protect overdrawn aquifers. The Oregon Water Resources Commission will consider a number of policy reforms at a two-day meeting this week in Harney County, a setting that’s become emblematic of state mismanagement of groundwater. The
Harney County’s Groundwater Crisis Draws Oregon Policymakers, Private Investors Read More »
By Alex Baumhardt | Sept. 18, 2023 | Oregon Capital Chronicle The 133-year-old Winchester Dam, which essentially provides a private lake for 100 “influential” people near Roseburg, has a history of environmental violations. For two days in early August, a dozen staff from the natural resources department of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe
Conservation Groups Call for End to Aging Umpqua River Dam After Emergency Fish Salvage Read More »
By Alanna Mayham | Sept. 15, 2023 | Courthouse News Service Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife heard a handful of public comments about repairs to the Winchester Dam and the effects on aquatic species and the local economy. Conservationists and anglers on Friday urged the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife to hold the
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Urged to Address Winchester Dam Repairs Read More »
By Alanna Mayham | Sept. 11, 2023 | Courthouse News Service Monday’s order upholds the notion that irrigators’ rights come after the Bureau of Reclamation’s obligations to protected fish species and tribal rights in the Klamath Basin. A magistrate judge in Oregon sided with the Klamath Tribes on Monday in finding that the U.S. Bureau
Judge Finds Feds Violated Law by Favoring Irrigators in the Klamath Basin Read More »
By Claire O’Neill, Matt McCann and Umi Syam | Edited by Jesse Pesta and Douglas Alteen | Aug. 28, 2023 | New York Times Overuse is draining and damaging aquifers nationwide, a New York Times data investigation revealed. A wealth of underground water helped create the United States, our nation’s vast cities and bountiful farmland.
America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow Read More »
By Shaun Hall | Aug. 14, 2023 | Rogue Valley Times A big push is underway in Jackson County and Oregon to replace open-ditch irrigation canals with piping to reduce water loss through seepage and evaporation. The mission by irrigation districts to modernize aging systems comes at a time of increased state and federal funding
By Alanna Mayham | Aug. 8, 2023 | Courthouse News Service A nonprofit says fish won’t be able to access their preferred habitats because of the repairs. Some claim the dam needs to go. The Winchester Dam on Oregon’s North Umpqua River closed for three weeks on Monday for repairs and reservoir drawdown in an
Critics Argue Repairs on Oregon Dam Don’t Go Far Enough to Protect Salmon Read More »
By Roman Battaglia | Aug. 1, 2023 | Jefferson Public Radio A small, abandoned dam in Southern Oregon was removed last week using funds from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The dam removal will greatly improve access to habitat for many different fish species. The Lovelace Dam on Slate Creek is the fifth to be
Southern Oregon Dam Removed Using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Read More »
By Emily Cureton Cook | July 25, 2023 | Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) State regulators have rejected creating new groundwater rights for a controversial destination resort under construction in Central Oregon. The proposed Thornburgh resort is seeking wells for a development near Redmond, in an area where declining groundwater levels have long raised ecological concerns and
Oregon Regulators Deny Another Bid for Water at Thornburgh Resort Read More »
By Kendra Chamberlain | July 13, 2023 | Columbia Insight Under a new law, dairy and confined cattle operations in Oregon will no longer have unlimited access to water. Large livestock operations will face stricter water rules in Oregon under a bill passed by state lawmakers earlier this year, in the wake of controversies surrounding
Historic Change: Facing Drought, Legislators Impose Water Limits on Livestock Read More »
By Sebastian Moss | Dec. 19, 2022 | Data Center Dynamics The data centers use more than a quarter of The Dalles city, and consumption is rising. The Dalles has dropped its lawsuit against The Oregonian, which filed a public records request to see the water deal it signed with Google. That means that how
By Mike Rogoway | Dec. 18, 2022 | The Oregonian Google’s water use in The Dalles has nearly tripled in the past five years, and the company’s data centers now consume more than a quarter of all the water used in the city. That’s according to records released this week after the city settled a
Andrew Selsky | Dec. 15, 2022 | Associated Press Residents of The Dalles, Oregon, are learning how much of their water Google’s data centers have been using to cool the computers inside the cavernous buildings — information that previously was deemed a trade secret. Google says its data centers in the Oregon town consumed 274.5
The Dalles Drops Fight to Keep Google Water Use Private Read More »
By Emily Cureton Cook | July 19, 2022 | Oregon Public Broadcasting In Oregon’s fastest-growing region, more residents are struggling to reach an affordable water supply. A developer’s quest to keep pumping tests what state officials are willing to do about it. Editor’s note: This is the third story in a series about how Oregon
Race to the Bottom: How Central Oregon Groundwater Sells to the Highest Bidders Read More »
Mateusz Perkowski | June 17, 2022 | Capital Press Oregon water regulators want to impose stricter rules for drilling new irrigation wells next year to preserve groundwater levels and prevent over-pumping. A preliminary analysis of available data suggests that little groundwater across the state is available for new allocations, said Ivan Gall, field services division
Stricter Groundwater Regulations Contemplated for Oregon Read More »
Mateusz Perkowski | June 17, 2022 | Capital Press Oregon water regulators want to impose stricter rules for drilling new irrigation wells next year to preserve groundwater levels and prevent over-pumping. A preliminary analysis of available data suggests that little groundwater across the state is available for new allocations, said Ivan Gall, field services division
Stricter Groundwater Regulations Contemplated for Oregon Read More »
By Alex Schwartz | May 1, 2022 | Jefferson Journal The Klamath Basin provides a cautionary tale for Oregon about the need to plan more intentionally and sustainably with its shrinking water supply. Despite growing up on a ranch near John Day and living in the Klamath Basin for more than 20 years, Misty Buckley
By Alex Schwartz | April 26, 2022 | Jefferson Public Radio The Klamath Basin provides a cautionary tale for Oregon about the need to plan more intentionally and sustainably with its shrinking water supply. Despite growing up on a ranch near John Day and living in the Klamath Basin for more than 20 years, Misty
By Emily Cureton Cook with Rachel Martin | April 4, 2022 | NPR Morning Edition In Oregon’s high desert, a lake more than 10,000 years old is drying up. That doesn’t have to happen. Summer Lake hosts millions of migratory birds annually, but its water is being diverted to farms. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: In southern
It’s Feared a Vital Lake in Oregon Could Run Dry Within a Generation Read More »
By Emily Cureton Cook | March 28, 2022 | Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon has protected land at Summer Lake Wildlife Area since 1944. Water is another story. Under current water rights, vital springs could run dry within a generation. The ground crumbled, kicking dust behind Marty St. Louis as he made his way down an
Race to the Bottom: Draining Summer Lake Read More »
By Emily Cureton Cook | March 16, 2022 | Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) In Malheur County’s Cow Valley, state regulators have ignored known issues with overpumping groundwater, leaving the region at risk of economic and ecological damage that will be difficult to reverse. The warnings were hard to miss on a forsaken stretch of Highway
Race to the Bottom: How Big Business Took Over Oregon’s First Protected Aquifer Read More »
By Bo Evans | Feb. 24, 2022 | Scripps The Iron Gate Dam, one of four dams on the Klamath River, will be removed in 2023. It will be the largest dam removal in U.S. history. For Pachomio Feliz, the waters of the Klamath River and Pacific are life. He’s a member of the Yurok
Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History Set to Begin Read More »
