Water Rights Dispute Clears Hurdle as Former County Commissioner Seeks Mining Transfer

By John Oliver  |  Dec. 16, 2025 |  Grants Pass Tribune A long-running dispute over a water right tied to a 65-acre property in Josephine County has reached a significant turning point, with state regulators declining to cancel the water right despite objections from environmental advocates. The decision clears one legal obstacle for property owners […]

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Oregon’s Harney Basin is Now a Critical Groundwater Area — Here’s What That Means

By Alejandro Figueroa  |  Dec. 12, 2025 |  Oregon Public Broadcasting Farmers in Harney County have come to rely on an aquifer that has long been known to be in serious decline. Now, Oregon water regulators will make drastic changes to how much water they can draw from the ground, following more than two years

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Stakeholder Proposal for Harney Groundwater Rejected by Oregon Regulators

By Mateusz Perkowski  |  Dec. 12, 2025 |  Capital Press Critics of the state’s adopted plan say it doesn’t protect the region’s ag-based economy. A petition seeking alternative rules to stabilize groundwater levels in Oregon’s Harney basin has failed to persuade regulators, who instead adopted the strategy preferred by a state agency. Though the Oregon

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Oregon Water Regulators Recommend Against Rejecting Irrigation Reservoir

By Mateusz Perkowski  |  Dec. 11, 2025 |  Capital Press Water board will take testimony, but says it has grounds to deny application. Oregon water regulators are proposing to again reject a new irrigation reservoir in the Willamette Valley, though they plan to hear additional arguments before making a final decision. The Oregon Water Resources

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Act Now to Support New Instream Water Rights in Oregon’s Coastal River Basins

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has filed applications to establish 44 new instream water rights in Oregon’s North Coast and Mid-Coast regions, and with the public comment period closing this Thursday, Dec. 18th, at 5 p.m. we need your help NOW to ensure legal protections are secured for these beloved coastal rivers and streams — from the Nehalem

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Instream: Water Resources Commission Adopts Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) Update

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

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Our 40th Anniversary — What an Event!

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

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WaterWatch Applauds Kotek Directive to Accelerate Climate Protections for State Lands, Waters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 23, 2025 For information, please contact:Tommy Hough, tommy@waterwatch.orgKimberley Priestley, kjp@waterwatch.org WaterWatch Applauds Governor Kotek’s Directive to Accelerate Climate Protections for State Lands and WatersCiting rivers, lakes, and wetlands, an executive order issued by the governor directs state agencies to prioritize application of climate resilient strategies into existing programs. Salem, Oregon —

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Take Action! Help Stop a Bad Groundwater Deal for the Harney Basin!

A petition filed by Representative Mark Owens would undermine proposed rules to stabilize groundwater in the Harney Basin. The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) is moving to designate the Harney Basin in the high desert of southeast Oregon a “critical groundwater area” to ensure more sustainable groundwater levels. Proposed rules developed over the course of a lengthy and exhaustive public

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Irrigators, Tribes, Local Officials Push Back Against State Proposal to Curb Harney Basin Groundwater Crisis

By Alejandro Figueroa  |  Sept. 29, 2025  |  OPB A coalition of irrigators, tribes and local governments organized under state Rep. Mark Owens — a Republican from Harney County and a farmer — recently filed a petition asking the Oregon Water Resources Commission to consider a different set of rules that diverges from regulators own

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Alternative Proposed to Harney Basin Groundwater Restrictions

By Mateusz Perkowski  |  Sept. 18, 2025 |  Capital Press WaterWatch continues to express skepticism over a proposed regulatory scheme to boost groundwater in the Harney basin. Irrigators and other water users are advocating for alternative groundwater restrictions to be adopted in Oregon’s Harney basin rather than those proposed by state regulators. The coalition, which

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Oregon Supreme Court Rules Water Rights for Proposed Dam Were Improperly Denied

By Bill Poehler  |  Aug. 12, 2025 |  Salem Statesman Journal The Oregon Supreme Court remanded the Oregon Water Resources Commission’s denial of water rights by the East Valley Water District. The Oregon Water Resources Commission must reconsider its denial of a proposed dam in farmland south of Silverton, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled on

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Oregon Supreme Court Upholds Key Ruling for Drift Creek Instream Water Right

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 8, 2025 For information, please contact:Tommy Hough, WaterWatch of Oregon, tommy@waterwatch.orgBrian Posewitz, WaterWatch of Oregon, brian@waterwatch.org Oregon Supreme Court Upholds Key Ruling for Drift Creek Instream Water RightThe state’s highest court affirmed most of a lower court’s ruling protecting a tributary of the Pudding River from a proposed 70-foot dam and

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Oregon Supreme Court Orders Reconsideration of Irrigation Reservoir Denial

By Mateusz Perkowski  |  Aug. 8, 2025  |  Capital Press Read WaterWatch of Oregon’s corresponding press release on the Oregon Supreme Court decision. An irrigation district must get another chance to persuade Oregon water regulators to approve a new Willamette Valley reservoir, according to a recent state Supreme Court ruling. The East Valley Water District’s

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Join WaterWatch at the Inaugural Rogue Spey Clave Aug. 23rd

Join WaterWatch of Oregon and a giant cast of anglers, Spey casters, fly fishing guides, casting instructors, and exhibitors from across the Pacific Northwest at the inaugural Rogue Spey Clave on Saturday, Aug. 23rd, at Griffin Park on the Rogue River. Organized by longtime Oregon fly fishing guides and Spey casting instructors Jon Hazlett and Dax Messett, the Rogue Spey Clave takes inspiration from events

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Advocating for Strong Rules to Sustain Groundwater, Habitat, and Species in the Harney Basin

Thank you to WaterWatch members, supporters, and friends for your responses in letting the Oregon Water Resources Department know you support the adoption of strong rules to sustain groundwater, habitat, and species in the Harney Basin over the last month. After an extensive, multi-year, multi-stakeholder process and in-depth scientific study, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) issued

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Instream: Forty Years of Protecting and Restoring Oregon’s Lesser-Known Natural Treasures

By John DeVoe with Tommy Hough The Deschutes, Rogue, and Klamath rivers. The Willamette and the McKenzie. Much of WaterWatch’s work protects and restores cold water habitat on these iconic Oregon rivers. But that’s not all WaterWatch does. WaterWatch has a 40-year tradition of protecting and restoring smaller, more intimate and remote streams no less

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Instream: In Conversation with Karen Russell, a WaterWatch Original Watchdog

As part of WaterWatch’s 40th anniversary, we’re featuring articles in Instream and at WaterWatch.org that highlight our work and success over the last four decades, and profiling some of the people who played key roles in building WaterWatch’s legacy. By Tommy Hough WaterWatch staff, board, and alumni often offer unprompted credit to Karen Russell for

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Instream: Free the Rogue Milestones

By Jim McCarthy The Rogue River has historically supported the largest runs of wild salmon and steelhead in Oregon outside of the Columbia Basin. In turn, this abundance has supported commercial and recreational fishing jobs throughout our region, seafood production, and world class recreational opportunities. Unfortunately, Rogue Coho salmon are now listed as threatened under

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WaterWatch of Oregon’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Auction

After months of preparation — atop a highly challenging year advocating for our world-class rivers — WaterWatch of Oregon’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Auction arrives at Castaway Portland this Saturday evening, Nov. 1st. We’re looking forward to catching up with you along with WaterWatch’s diverse community of anglers, birders, boaters, conservationists, and river fanatics to

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Stricter Oregon Water Transfer Rules Die with End of Legislative Session

By Mateusz Perkowski  |  June 30, 2025  |  Capital Press Oregon’s legislative session ended with lawmakers not taking action on bills that would impose new environmental review regulations on certain water rights transfers. The debate over stricter rules for water rights transfers persisted throughout the session, but even the proposal with the most momentum, Senate

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