Water News

Our 2023 Celebration of Oregon Rivers Auction Event Was Everything We Hoped For

Sept. 27, 2023 As always, we had a wonderful time seeing so many long-time friends and WaterWatch supporters last Saturday at the World Forestry Center as we auctioned off dozens of one-of-a-kind donor packages at our 21st Annual Celebration of Oregon Rivers. Because of your generosity and support we have an even stronger hand heading […]

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Support Rivers and Fish as Part of Oregon’s Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) Update

May 22, 2023 Oregon’s Kitchen Table recently posted a survey to help state officials better understand what water issues are important to you. The information and data collected will ultimately help shape the next iteration of the state’s Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS). Background: The IWRS is Oregon’s blueprint for meeting both instream and out-of-stream

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River Action Alert: Speak Up for Rivers and Fish in Oregon’s Integrated Water Resources Strategy Update

May 9, 2023 We need your help in lending your voice to the water needs of rivers and fish as part of Oregon’s Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) update. Oregon’s blueprint for meeting both instream and out-of-stream needs, the IWRS is critically important in shaping policies, programs, and budgets for multiple state agencies. First published

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Instream: Federal Regulator Says Four Lower Klamath Dams May Come Down

April 4, 2023 By Jim McCarthy In Nov. 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted final approval for the decommissioning of the lower four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River near the Oregon-California state line. The decision marked the end of two decades of advocacy, politics, and bureaucratic processes surrounding this hydro complex. It is

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Groundwater Over-Allocation in Oregon — the Deschutes, Umatilla, Klamath and Harney Basins

By WaterWatch Staff  |  April 6, 2022  |  Instream While groundwater permitting standards require Oregon to determine whether water is available before issuing a new groundwater permit, in practice, the state all too often lacks enough data to make that determination. As a result, and a habit, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) often operates

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State Groundwater Management, Capacity and Investment: A Transformative Package

By WaterWatch Staff  |  April 5, 2022  |  Instream In addition to the critical reforms advocated for by WaterWatch to ensure Oregon manages its groundwater in a sustainable manner, funding and agency capacity are also essential. As a result of past underinvestment in groundwater in many areas of the state, the Water Resources Department (OWRD)

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Urgent Groundwater Reforms Needed for a Sustainable Water Future

By WaterWatch Staff  |  April 5, 2022  |  Instream WaterWatch works across Oregon in administrative, collaborative, legislative and legal forums to advocate for reforms needed to secure sustainable groundwater management. WaterWatch has identified five critical and urgent reforms needed to put Oregon on a course to manage groundwater sustainably: 1  —  Stop issuing permits without

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Protecting Groundwater Resources is Critical for Oregon’s Environment and People

By WaterWatch Staff  |  April 5, 2022  |  Instream Groundwater provides a myriad of irreplaceable ecological benefits and is the sole source of drinking water for nearly one in four Oregonians. WaterWatch has a long history of working to ensure that Oregon’s management of groundwater preserves the vital role of this resource in maintaining streamflows,

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