Press Releases

Judge Denies Irrigators Special Treatment, Millions in Drought Payments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2017 CONTACTS Glen Spain | Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations | 541.521.8655 | fish1ifr@aol.com Jim McCarthy |WaterWatch of Oregon | 541.708.0731 | jim@waterwatch.org Stephanie Tsosie | Earthjustice | 505.270.5098 | stsosie@earthjustice.org Judge Denies Irrigators Special Treatment, Millions in Drought Payments Read the Decision Here Washington, D.C. – Judge Marian Blank […]

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The Columbia River Basin Holds Immense Natural Capital Value

For Immediate Release July 6, 2017 The Columbia River Basin Holds Immense Natural Capital Value New study shows Columbia River Basin’s natural capital worth $198 billion annually Contact: D.R. Michel, Upper Columbia United Tribes, 509.209.2412, dr@ucut-nsn.org Sara Thompson, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, 503. 238.3567, thos@critfc.org Greg Haller, Pacific Rivers, 503.228.3555 ext. 205, greg@pacificrivers.org Joseph

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Water Bill Passes a Milestone

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 12, 2017 Contacts: Stacey Malstrom, Oregon Environmental Council, (503) 508-7233 Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 708-0731 Water Bill Passes a Milestone Oregon’s House Committee on Energy and Environment Makes Progress Toward Smart Water Management SALEM — Tuesday evening, the Oregon House Committee on Energy and Environment voted to move HB

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Klamath Advocates Go To Court Over Wildlife Mismanagement

For Immediate Release January 18, 2017 Contacts: Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, (503) 283-6342 Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 708-0731 Klamath Advocates Go To Court Over Wildlife Mismanagement Conservation Groups Challenge Improper Management Plan for “Everglades of the West” Click here to view the court filing. Workers

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Agreement Reached to Protect Upper Deschutes River

For Immediate Release October 28, 2016 Contact: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731, jim@waterwatch.org Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity, 503-484-7495, ngreenwald@biologicaldiversity.org Janette Brimmer, Earthjustice, 206-343-7340 x 1029, jbrimmer@earthjustice.org Laurie Rule, Advocates for the West, 503-914-6388, lrule@advocateswest.org Agreement Reached to Protect Upper Deschutes River Deal Provides Modest Near-term Flow Boost, Sets Timeline for Science-Based Improvements

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WaterWatch Applauds Designation of Two New State Scenic Waterways

For Immediate Release January 27, 2016 WaterWatch Applauds Designation of Two New State Scenic Waterways Chetco and Molalla river segments gain new protections for flows supporting fish, wildlife, and recreation Chetco River by Ken Moorish WaterWatch of Oregon welcomed Governor Kate Brown’s announcement today designating portions of the Chetco and Molalla rivers as State Scenic Waterways.

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Statement Regarding Ongoing Upper Deschutes River Lawsuit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 24, 2016 WaterWatch and Center for Biological Diversity Statement Regarding Ongoing Upper Deschutes River Lawsuit On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Aiken indicated during a hearing that she would deny WaterWatch of Oregon and Center for Biological Diversity’s motion requesting immediate changes to flows in the Upper Deschutes River to prevent

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WaterWatch of Oregon Applauds Advance of Klamath Dam Removal

For Immediate Release February 2, 2016 Contact: Jim McCarthy 541-708-0731 John DeVoe, 503-295-4039 x1 WaterWatch of Oregon Applauds Advance of Klamath Dam Removal Long-Delayed Restoration Effort No Longer Held Hostage to Failed Water Agreement Today, WaterWatch applauded Oregon and California’s elected leaders and the Obama Administration for prioritizing the agreement to remove the four lower

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WaterWatch of Oregon Issues Warning to Protect Deschutes River

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 13, 2015 CONTACT: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731 60-Day Notice is available here. WaterWatch of Oregon Issues Warning to Protect Deschutes River Irregular streamflows are harming fish, wildlife and local livelihoods Bend – Today, WaterWatch of Oregon announced its intention to challenge the Central Oregon Irrigation District, North Unit Irrigation District,

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Top Priority Dam Removal Nears Completion in Rogue River Basin

For Immediate Release August 10, 2015 Contacts: Bob Hunter, WaterWatch of Oregon Board Member, 541-778-3310 Brian Barr, Geos Institute Project Manager, 541-621-7226 Denise Hoffert, American Rivers, 541-619-5896 John DeVoe, WaterWatch of Oregon Executive Director, 503-295-4039 Photos and map showing both dams are available here. Video of Wimer Dam removal available here. Top Priority Dam Removal Nears Completion

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Columbia River Treaty: State Department to Include Ecosystem Function in Negotiating Position

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 Thursday, June 4, 2015 Contacts – * Pat Ford (Save Our wild Salmon) 208-345-9067 pford@wildidaho.org (Boise) * Greg Haller (Pacific Rivers Council) 503-228-3555 greg@pacificrivers.org (Portland)

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Major Grant Awarded to Top Priority Rogue Basin Dam Removal Project

For Immediate Release April 28, 2015 Contacts: John DeVoe, WaterWatch of Oregon Executive Director, 971-322-5635 Bob Hunter, WaterWatch of Oregon Board Member, 541-778-3310 Brian Barr, Geos Institute Project Manager, 541-621-7226 Major Grant Awarded to Top Priority Rogue Basin Dam Removal Project Funding Means Salmon and Steelhead to Regain Access this Fall to 70 Miles of

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Judge Affirms Ruling Favoring Wildlife on Klamath Refuges

For Immediate Release April 16, 2015 Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731 Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, 503-380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, 503-283-6343 Chris Winter, Crag Law Center, 503-701-6002 A copy of the ruling can be found here. Judge Affirms Ruling Favoring Wildlife on Klamath Refuges U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service given August 2016

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WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding the 2015 Klamath Project Operations Plan

For Immediate Release April 8, 2015 WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding the 2015 Klamath Project Operations Plan Yesterday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released the 2015 Klamath Project Operations Plan, setting irrigation season water delivery amounts for agribusiness operations and national wildlife refuges within the massive federal Klamath Project along the Oregon-California line. Yet again,

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Judge’s Ruling Favors Wildlife on Klamath Refuges

For Immediate Release March 5, 2015 Contacts: Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, 503-380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, 503-283-6343 Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731 Chris Winter, Crag Law Center, 503-701-6002 Copy of ruling available here Judge’s Ruling Favors Wildlife on Klamath Refuges U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service required to complete plan to ensure commercial agribusiness

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Appeals Court Delivers Victory for Clackamas River Salmon and Steelhead

For Immediate Release December 31, 2014 Contact: Lisa Brown, WaterWatch Staff Attorney: 503-295-4039 x4 John DeVoe, WaterWatch Executive Director: 503-295-4039 x1 Court of Appeals decision available here: http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/docs/A148870.pdf Appeals Court Delivers Victory for Clackamas River Salmon and Steelhead Opinion Requires State to Maintain Flows Needed for Imperiled Fish Clackamas River by Erin Barnholdt Today the Oregon

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MERKLEY, WALDEN DELIVER CROOKED RIVER VICTORY FOR CENTRAL OREGON

For Immediate Release December 12, 2014 MERKLEY, WALDEN DELIVER CROOKED RIVER VICTORY FOR CENTRAL OREGON Bipartisan agreement will deliver greater water security and economic growth for Central Oregon WASHINGTON – This holiday season, Central Oregon will have one more reason to celebrate: In the final moments of the 113th Congress, major legislation implementing improved water

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Foreign Owned Mining Company Renews Push for Controversial Mine in Wild and Scenic Smith River Headwaters

Foreign Owned Mining Company Renews Push for Controversial Mine in Wild and Scenic Smith River Headwaters December 9, 2014 Local communities vowed continued opposition after Red Flat Nickel Corporation filed a petition with the Oregon Water Resources Department asking the agency to reconsider denial of the company’s application to withdraw water for the Cleopatra test

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Oregon Water Resources Commission Upholds Order Against McKenzie River Water Speculators

For Immediate Release June 4, 2014 Oregon Water Resources Commission Upholds Order Against McKenzie River Water Speculators Another Victory for McKenzie River and WaterWatch McKenzie River Photo by Tracey Adams On May 29th, the Oregon Water Resources Commission upheld a final order denying the Willamette Water Company’s controversial application for a permit to withdraw 34

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WaterWatch of Oregon Statement on Oregon Supreme Court Opinion in Noble v. ODFW

For Immediate Release May 15, 2014 WaterWatch of Oregon Statement on Oregon Supreme Court Opinion in Noble v. ODFW A Win for Salmon and Steelhead In a decision critical to native migratory fish across Oregon, the Oregon Supreme Court reaffirmed the importance of fish passage at dams across the state. The court’s decision in the case of

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Report Charts Path to More Secure Water Supply for Klamath Refuges

For Immediate Release May 5, 2014 Report Charts Path to More Secure Water Supply for Klamath Refuges New Options Could Prevent Future Bird Die-Offs, Restore Essential Wildlife Habitat in Chronically Water-Starved Wetlands Online Version of Report Available Here High Resolution Version Available Here Letter to Interior Secretary Jewell and USFWS Director Ashe The Klamath leaselands

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Klamath Advocates Go To Court Over Wildlife Mismanagement

For Immediate Release: April 24, 2014 Contacts: Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 380-9728 Quinn Read, Oregon Wild, (503) 283-6342 (x226) Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 708-0731 Klamath Advocates Go To Court Over Wildlife Mismanagement Conservation Groups Ask Federal Court to Require U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Obey the Law, Complete Long-Overdue

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WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding Signing of a Klamath Basin Water Agreement

For Immediate Release April 18, 2014 WaterWatch of Oregon Statement Regarding Signing of a Klamath Basin Water Agreement Although any amount of permanent water demand reduction is a welcome step in the right direction for the Klamath Basin, the claims that the agreement signed today will alone resolve the region’s water wars are simply false.

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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

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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

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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

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Victory for Oregon’s Rivers in Court of Appeals Ruling on Cottage Grove Water Right

For Immediate Release December 11, 2013 Contact: Jim McCarthy, jmac@waterwatch.org, 541-708-0731 Lisa Brown, lisa@waterwatch.org, 503-295-4039 x4 Victory for Oregon’s Rivers in Court of Appeals Ruling on Cottage Grove Water Right Precedent-setting decision closes harmful loophole, affirms protections for fish Today, the Court of Appeals of the State of Oregon handed down a victory for the

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Rep. Hastings’ Treaty Hearing: Conservationists and Fishing Community Support Inclusion of Ecosystem Function in Modernized Columbia River Treaty

For Immediate Release Center for Environmental Law & Policy – WaterWatch of Oregon – Pacific Rivers Council – Save Our Wild Salmon – Sierra Club December 9, 2013 Contacts: Greg Haller (Pacific Rivers) 503.228.3555 greg@pacificrivers.org (Portland) Suzanne Skinner (CELP) 206.829-8366 sskinner@celp.org (Seattle) Pat Ford (SOS) 208.345-9067 pford@wildidaho.org (Boise) John DeVoe (WaterWatch) 503.295-4039 x1 john@waterwatch.org (Portland)

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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

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LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST FOREST SERVICE PERMIT FOR CITY OF BEND WATER PROJECT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NOVEMBER 14, 2013 LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST FOREST SERVICE PERMIT FOR CITY OF BEND WATER PROJECT BEND — Central Oregon LandWatch and WaterWatch of Oregon filed a lawsuit today in the Oregon Federal District Court seeking an injunction to prevent the U.S. Forest Service from authorizing the City of Bend to begin construction of a

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Governor Signs Bill to Protect Salmon Habitat

For Immediate Release August 15, 2013 Contact Forrest English, Rogue Riverkeeper, 541-261-2030 Josh Laughlin, Cascadia Wildlands, 541-844-8182 Erik Fernandez, Oregon Wild, 503-283-6343 x202 Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731 Governor Signs Bill to Protect Salmon Habitat Bill to Reduce Impacts of Suction Dredge Gold Mining on Oregon Rivers Salem, OR — Anglers, landowners, outdoor recreation

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Conservationists Seek Solution to Critical Salmon Barrier on Rogue Basin’s Evans Creek

For Immediate Release Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch, 541-708-0731 Janette Brimmer, Earthjustice, 206-343-7340 x1029   Conservationists Seek Solution to Critical Salmon Barrier on Rogue Basin’s Evans Creek Fielder Dam Ranks in Oregon’s Top Ten List of Barriers Harmful to Salmon, Steelhead For a pdf copy of the legal complaint click here. For additional background on this issue click

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Conservation Groups File 60-Day Notice of ESA Challenge on Klamath Salmon

For Immediate Release WaterWatch of Oregon * Oregon Wild * Hoopa Valley Tribe Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch, 541-941-9450 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, 503-283-6343 x212 Regina Chichizola, Hoopa Valley Tribe, 541-951-0126 Conservation Groups File 60-Day Notice of ESA Challenge on Klamath Salmon Coalition says Bureau of Reclamation continues to endanger Klamath River fish, wildlife by implementing

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Legislation Introduced to Protect Water Quality and Wild Salmon

For Immediate Release February 19, 2013 Contact: John Ward, Rogue Flyfishers (Medford), 541-482-2859 Frank Armendariz, River Trail Outfitters (Eugene), 541-228-4084 Legislation Introduced to Protect Water Quality and Wild Salmon SB 401 would curb destructive suction dredge mining in Oregon’s iconic waterways Salem, OR — Local businesses, outdoor enthusiasts, and conservation organizations applaud the recent introduction

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Columbia River-Umatilla Solutions Taskforce announcement

Statement by Kimberley Priestley, WaterWatch of Oregon’s Senior Policy Analyst, on the February 15, 2013 Columbia River-Umatilla Solutions Taskforce (CRUST) announcement: “Today’s agreement offers a menu of balanced potential solutions that will provide additional water to Umatilla farmers without harming flows needed for struggling salmon and steelhead runs or – importantly – without undermining river

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Diverse Coalition Celebrates Landmark Upper Rogue Valley Water Plan

For Immediate Release September 26, 2012 Contact: State Rep. Peter Buckley, 541-488-9180 Bryan Baumgartner, Rogue River Valley Irrigation District, 541-261-2465 Bob Hunter, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-778-3310 Leigh Johnson, Medford Water Commission, 541-944-2222 Steve Mason, WISE Project Coordinator, 541-951-0854 Diverse Coalition Celebrates Landmark Upper Rogue Valley Water Plan Rep. Buckley presides over ceremony kicking off comprehensive

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