Water News

This article appears in the fall 2026 issue of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Instream newsletter. Emerging from the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia, the Columbia River runs 1,214 miles through seven states on its journey to the Pacific Ocean. Once an ecological powerhouse home to 27 wild salmon and steelhead stocks, the river has been drastically

As we head toward autumn in the wake of a long, hot summer, WaterWatch has several events happening this month we’d love for you to join us at — including two this Saturday the 12th. Consider this your invitation and join us for these September events with WaterWatch of Oregon. Find our entire list of

Get your tickets and tables now for our 24th Annual Celebration of Oregon Rivers and annual auction Nov. 7th at Castaway Portland. Whether helping ensure passage of the 1.25% for Wildlife initiative, stopping bad water bills in Salem, preserving Oregon’s rivers in the midst of drought, our campaign to remove Winchester Dam, or pushing back

Join marine biologist and Shifting Tides founder Alanna Kieffer as she facilitates this special coastal workshop in Wheeler on Saturday, Aug. 22nd. There are only a few spaces left for our upcoming Shifting Tides Workshop, so reserve your spot today to join this Saturday, Aug. 22nd, at The Salmonberry Restaurant in Wheeler. Marine biologist and Shifting

Join WaterWatch of Oregon at Whitaker Ponds Nature Park in Northeast Portland for a Feather & FLOW birding walk on Saturday, Aug. 15th, at 9 a.m., led by birding guide, photographer, and author Eric Carlson, also known as Seymore Gulls. Birders of all experience levels are welcome to attend, and you can expect a relaxed,

The summer issue of our Instream newsletter features the latest in our campaign to remove Winchester Dam, drought concerns, legislative successes, data centers, and more. With outdoor season upon us and Oregon’s drought increasing in severity throughout the state, there’s no doubt summer is here. And with that, the 16-page summer issue of our Instream

  This article appears in the summer 2026 issue of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Instream newsletter. The effects of climate change on Oregon’s river ecosystems have been stark. Low snowpack, warming temperatures, and shifting hydrology are exacerbating long-standing challenges facing Oregon’s over-tapped rivers. Climate change is also increasing incidents of drought, with 2026 being no exception.

This article appears in the summer 2026 issue of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Instream newsletter. Data centers present new challenges for Oregon’s waters, often in places where rivers, aquifers, imperiled species — and communities — have nothing left to give. Data centers use water in several ways. Some use water to cool clusters of servers housed

Support WaterWatch throughout the day on Tuesday, June 30th, during a daylong Oakshire Inspires event benefitting WaterWatch of Oregon at Oakshire Brewing’s Portland Beer Hall. Join WaterWatch on Tuesday, June 30th, at the Oakshire Portland Beer Hall at 5013 NE 42nd Ave. for a daylong Oakshire Inspires event benefit in support of WaterWatch of Oregon. As part of Oakshire Brewing’s support for local

As Oregon’s drought stretches into autmun, check back at this page or our Drought Updates and Resource page for more details and the latest climatic and streamflow updates from state and federal resources. If you see an Oregon news story we missed on this year’s drought, let us know. Drought Covers Nearly Nine-Tenths of Oregon as

April 22, 2026 In the midst of a difficult moment for our nation’s environmental safeguards, this may be the most important and meaningful Earth Day. With our special connections to rivers, water, fish, wildlife, and the outdoors, Earth Day is an important day for those of us in Oregon. We’d like to wish you an

This article originally appeared in the spring 2026 issue of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Instream newsletter. In December, the state designated the Harney Basin a Critical Groundwater Area with the adopted rules for cutting back groundwater pumping to stabilize groundwater levels by 2058. This marks a major step forward for Oregon groundwater policy, and the culmination

This article originally appeared in the spring 2026 issue of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Instream newsletter. Shortly after the New Year, WaterWatch began to help assemble a coalition of angling, land-use, and conservation organizations to prevent the giveaway of public lands in the Mt. Hood National Forest proposed by HR 655, a troubling bill that would

With Governor Tina Kotek signing HB 4134 into law, the 1.25% for Wildlife campaign comes to a successful conclusion in Oregon. At WaterWatch, our work is focused on protecting and restoring the streamflows that power our state’s world-class rivers and streams, which in turn provide vital habitat, foraging grounds, and migratory corridors for a variety

The North Umpqua River’s salmon and steelhead will find it easier to move upstream and downstream past Winchester Dam by 2029, thanks to a final fish passage order approved by a 6-to-1 vote of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in February. The action came after the Winchester Water Control District, which owns the dam,

The weather is warming, flowers and trees are blooming, allergies are raging, water is flowing cold, and the spring issue of Instream is arriving in mailboxes now. Featuring a cover photo of Mt. Hood and the Sandy River Valley by photographer Josemaria Toscano, each issue of Instream is a collaborative effort by the WaterWatch staff

Senator Ron Wyden911 NE 11th Ave.Suite 630Portland, OR 97232 Senator Jeff Merkely121 SW Salmon St.Suite 1400Portland, OR 97204 February 18, 2026 Dear Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley, On behalf of our tens of thousands of members and supporters across Oregon, we write to object to the giveaway of public lands in the Mount Hood National

Download a PDF of this job description here. Jan. 9, 2026 DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR WaterWatch of Oregon is seeking a Development Director to help develop and implement strategic fundraising for the organization to meet its annual budget and fund expansion set forth in WaterWatch’s Strategic Plan. WaterWatch is an environmental non‐profit organization founded in 1985 with

Dec. 31, 2025 In these final hours of 2025, the WaterWatch of Oregon team is taking stock of a challenging, but also busy and successful year for Oregon’s rivers and water — plus we celebrated our 40th anniversary with you throughout the year! As we look toward 2026 we’re reminded again of our collective commitment to

As the print edition of our 2025 Accomplishments Report begins to arrive in mailboxes, a PDF of our report is online now. With the holiday season in full swing and the end of the year fast approaching, we’re thrilled to announce our 2025 Accomplishments Report will arrive shortly in mailboxes. While there’s no doubt 2025

As we prepare to go to court to help defend several challenges to ODFW instream water right applications in the Umpqua Basin, we need your help to support our efforts. Signed into Oregon state law in 1987, the landmark Instream Water Rights Act remains one of WaterWatch’s earliest successes and lasting accomplishments, and allows three

In September, the Oregon Water Resources Commission adopted the 2025 update to the Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS), Oregon’s blueprint for meeting instream and out-of-stream water needs into the future. In 2009 WaterWatch helped shape the law that sets the framework for the IWRS. Working closely with then-state Senator Jackie Dingfeler, WaterWatch convinced the Oregon

What a fantastic time we had on Nov. 1st! Thank you for being a part of it! Thank you to everyone — our attendees, our volunteers from Lewis and Clark College, the caterers at Elephant’s Deli, the audio-visual team at David Efaw Productions, the staff at Castaway Portland, photographer Nina Johnson, our Golden Ticket holders, and everyone who provided auction packages for

By WaterWatch of Oregon Staff Oct. 30, 2025 Western water law is full of strange contradictions and paradoxical constructs. Water is extremely valuable, yet water itself is absolutely free. Water is valuable, yet we do not measure the majority of society’s use of water. When a pioneering group of Rogue River anglers came together in

As we inch closer to WaterWatch of Oregon’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Auction on Saturday, Nov. 1st, at Castaway Portland, we can’t believe the volume of auction packages we still want to share with you ahead of doors opening. One thing we do know is if you love to fish, you’ll be right at

Our discounted early bird ticket pricing for WaterWatch’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Auction has now closed. Don’t worry — you still have up to a day before our 40th Anniversary Event on Saturday, Nov. 1st, to purchase tickets at our regular rate of $150 per ticket. Purchase your tickets here. Plan now to join us Nov. 1st

We hope you enjoyed your Labor Day holiday weekend with family and friends, and we’re thrilled to announce the winner of our guided fishing raffle with Nick Rowell of Anadromous Anglers are Steve and Debra L., a couple whose names were drawn earlier with the close of our August Matching Campaign. Steve and Debra will