Instream: Forty Years of Protecting and Restoring Lesser-Known Treasures in Oregon

By John DeVoe 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 critical for fish […]

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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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Take Action — The Harney Basin Needs Your Help!

Let the Oregon Water Resources Department know you support adopting strong rules to sustain groundwater, habitat, and species in the Harney Basin. After an extensive, multi-year, multi-stakeholder process and in-depth scientific study, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) has issued proposed rules to establish a critical groundwater area in the Harney Basin which would ultimately allow the agency to

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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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Tickets On Sale Now for WaterWatch’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Auction

Tickets to our 40th Anniversary Celebration of Oregon Rivers are now on sale! WaterWatch members, supporters, family, friends, and colleagues are cordially invited to our annual gala and auction event on Saturday, Nov. 1st, for the biggest river party of the year. This year, to help celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’ve changed venues and are

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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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Keep Oregon’s Rivers Flowing with a Gift from a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)

Across Oregon, compromised streamflows and fish passage barriers are threatening native salmon and steelhead, birds, amphibians, and wildlife — as well as disrupting the ecosystems and communities that depend on healthy rivers. That’s why, for over 40 years, WaterWatch has worked to protect and restore natural streamflows and groundwater to ensure our rivers have enough water

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Take Action to Save the Endangered Species Act

The White House is threatening the integrity of the federal Endangered Species Act by proposing to remove the regulatory definition of “harm.” As part of its ongoing campaign attacking long-standing U.S. environmental laws and policies, the White House is threatening a critical underpinning of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) by proposing to remove the regulatory definition of “harm,” which is

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Instream: Safeguarding Streamflows in Water Right Transfers

By Kimberley Priestley An unintended regulatory loophole in Oregon’s water transfer laws allow old water rights to serve new uses, move to new diversion points, or change the place of use without any environmental review, effectively nullifying Oregon’s ability to protect instream values on hundreds of streams across the state. Currently, transfer applicants only need

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Instream: Winchester Dam Removal Closer Than Ever as Legal Battles Continue

By Jim McCarthy In February, WaterWatch and our allies Steamboaters and Pacific Coast Federations of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) secured formal permission to participate in a state fish passage enforcement proceeding which may ultimately determine the fate of the 135-year old Winchester Dam, a privately owned former hydropower structure near Roseburg commonly known as the biggest

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Instream: Bob Hunter Reflects on the Early Years of WaterWatch of Oregon

By Tommy Hough One of WaterWatch of Oregon’s founding board members and long-time staff attorney, Bob Hunter participated with WaterWatch’s founders, Tom and Audrey Simmons, in the early discussions leading up to the organization’s establishment. As part of our 40th anniversary archival project, Instream recently spoke with Bob about the early years of WaterWatch, and the

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Thornburgh Resort Defeat Marks Reprieve for Central Oregon Fish, Wildlife, and Water

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 7, 2025 For information, please contact:Tommy Hough, WaterWatch of Oregon, tommy@waterwatch.org Thornburgh Resort Defeat Marks Reprieve for Central Oregon Fish, Wildlife, and WaterState agency’s earlier denial of a limited water use license was upheld because the proposed resort would use water far more quickly than it can be naturally replenished and

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Thornburgh Resort Site in Central Oregon Hits Another Water Rights Roadblock

By Emily Cureton Cook  |  April 6, 2025  |  Oregon Public Broadcasting A Deschutes County Circuit Court judge recently dealt a blow to plans for the much-contested Thornburgh resort in Central Oregon.  In a March 31st opinion, Judge Raymond Crutchley shot down a petition brought by the developer against state regulators over access to groundwater

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Join Us in Eugene This Wednesday the 30th for an Oakshire Inspires Benefit

The environmental headlines have been difficult to digest lately, but we’re having a fantastic spring season here in Oregon, so we invite you to take a break and join us in Eugene on Wednesday to enjoy some conservation camaraderie, warmer weather, and an opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors about upcoming river adventures, fishing

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Bipartisan Groundwater Proposal Draws Bipartisan Opposition

By Mateusz Perkowski  |  March 31, 2025 |  Capital Press Bipartian legislation meant to staunch groundwater depletion in Oregon’s Harney Basin by bolstering voluntary conservation measures is drawing opposition from across the political spectrum. Though House Bill 3800 received support from some farmers and community leaders at a recent hearing, the proposal was characterized as

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Streamlined Water Rights Dispute Procedures Raise Due Process Fears

By Mateusz Perkowski  |  March 20, 2025  |  Capital Press Two Oregon lawmakers want to streamline how water rights disputes are resolved but the proposal is drawing criticism from organizations representing farmers and environmentalists. The amount of time needed to process certain water rights applications has been the subject of “constant complaints,” but grumbling won’t

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