Press

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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We Need Your Support for Oregon Senate Bill 1153 NOW

Clean water, strong rivers, and healthy fish and wildlife are part of Oregon’s identity, yet many of our state’s outdated water laws are at odds with those values. Right now we have a chance to protect the public benefits our rivers provide by tightening a dangerous loophole that currently allows the Oregon Water Resources Department

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Please Weigh in NOW Against Three Bad Rules Bills

Please speak up NOW to help us stop three bad rules bills targeting state rulemakings, agency discretion, and executive functions. The three bills — HB 3569, HB 2692, and HB 2454 — follow the ongoing federal trend of blurring the lines between the three branches of government, and gives the regulated industry a leg up

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The Endangered Species Act Faces Its Own Existential Threat

By Marcy Cottrell Houle | May 14, 2025 | Los Angeles Times We are on the cusp of losing the integrity of one of the most significant environmental acts ever enacted in the United States. Why should this matter? As the Pulitzer Prize-winning evolutionary biologist E.O. Wilson put it: “We should preserve every scrap of

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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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Critical Support Needed for Rivers This Earth Day

At no other moment since the first Earth Day 55 years ago has our nation’s conservation legacy been so threatened. Earth Day is a special day for everyone who loves and appreciates life on our planet as we celebrate habitat, species, vast landscapes, clean air, and the water that renews and recharges our rivers, streams,

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Instream: Bridge Creek Ranch Diversion Update

By Brian Posewitz WaterWatch recently completed a contested case hearing seeking to prevent a water right transfer from exacerbating low streamflows in Bridge Creek, a tributary to the John Day River with important habitat for threatened steelhead. Bridge Creek Ranch, an affiliate of Papé Machinery that owns and operates Painted Hills Reservoir, wants to move

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Instream: Chinook Spawn in Former Pomeroy Dam Reservoir Site

By Jim McCarthy This past fall, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists found fall chinook salmon spawning in a stretch of the Illinois River previously submerged under the Pomeroy Dam reservoir pool. This development came just a few months after WaterWatch removed the 10-foot high, 270-foot wide concrete structure from this Rogue Basin tributary,

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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: Life Lessons from Author and Angler Steve Duda

By Jesse Robbins Last summer, Seattle-based author, angler, musician, and conservationist Steve Duda and I visited bookstores and readers in Beaverton and Bend — and even made an appearance on KOIN-TV’s AM Extra morning program in Portland — to share and help promote Steve’s book River Songs: Moments of Wild Wonder in Fly Fishing and discuss fly

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Instream: WaterWatch Back in Trial to Protect Grave Creek

By Lisa Brown WaterWatch went to trial in March regarding a water right for a proposed large-scale open pit mine along Grave Creek in Sunny Valley. A popular put-in for boaters, Grave Creek is an important stream for salmon, steelhead, and lamprey that flows into the Rogue River at the upper end of its Wild

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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

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

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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Instream: Celebrating Four Decades of Success

By Neil Brandt Despite the threats of federal rollbacks to bedrock environmental statutes, slashing of key federal agency personnel, and wholly unprecedented attacks on our nation’s conservation legacy, we at WaterWatch are nevertheless celebrating our four decades of work and success in 2025. Despite the chaos coming out of Washington, D.C., we continue to see

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Judge’s Ruling Creates Another Water Rights Roadblock for Thornburgh

By Morgan Owen | April 9, 2025 | Bend Bulletin In a major win for water rights activists, a Deschutes County judge has dismissed an appeal made by developers of the luxury Thornburgh Resort, upholding an earlier decision denying the resort a permit to draw water from the Deschutes River aquifer. This ruling is the

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Oregon CAFO Prohibition Bill Won’t Move This Session

By Mateusz Perkowski | April 8, 2025 | Capital Press Oregon lawmakers won’t prohibit building large livestock operations in areas with heightened groundwater protections this year, but the idea may not be abandoned for long. Though there isn’t enough agreement on this “explosive issue” for the proposal to pass in 2025, discussions about remedying aquifer

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Thornburgh Resort Once Again Denied Access To Deschutes River Basin

By Peter Madsen | April 8, 2025 | The Source Weekly Circuit court ruled in favor of state regulators’ previous denial. The developers of a disputed resort were handed the latest in a series of setbacks in their attempt to tap the Deschutes River Basin. On March 31st, the Deschutes County Circuit Court dismissed Thornburgh

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Spring Issue of Instream in Mailboxes Now

April 8, 2025 The spring issue of our Instream newsletter is arriving in mailboxes now, featuring a striking aerial cover photo of the McKenzie River by photographer Nicholas J. Klein. One of Oregon’s great groundwater-fed rivers, the McKenzie drains about 1,300 square miles on its route from the Cascades to the Willamette River, with 12 miles of its length protected as

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 7, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 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

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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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Governor Kotek Backs Oregon Water Transfer Reviews

By Mateusz Perkowski | March 27, 2025 | Capital Press Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek backs a bill would create a “targeted review” of water transfer requests to ensure they don’t impair water quality or threatened, endangered, or sensitive aquatic species. Of the three bills proposing to reform Oregon water rights transfers this legislative session, the

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Submit Testimony on an Important Bill for Oregon Streams

In February we urged you to speak in support of SB 427, a bill that would safeguard streamflows in water right transfers, and you came through. This month we asked for your support for SB 1153, a similar bill that would ensure fish and water quality are not harmed in water right transfers. And once again,

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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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Immediate, Actionable Opportunities for Oregon’s Rivers

March 18, 2025 When it comes to our shared values in conservation, a healthy environment, and a fair and just society, we are in the midst of an extraordinary, uncertain moment in our nation’s history. Conservation may be a core American value, but our nation’s environmental legacy is now under assault by our own federal

Immediate, Actionable Opportunities for Oregon’s Rivers Read More »

WaterWatch of Oregon Takes Stand Against HB 3501

By Samantha Kadera | March 11, 2025 | KDRV News WaterWatch of Oregon is urging residents to oppose House Bill 3501, a bill that would prevent the state from considering the public interest, such as the impacts to fish, wildlife, and water quality, when reviewing water right transfers. The bill would weaken protections for Oregon’s

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Oregon Proposals Clash Over Water Rights Transfer Reviews

By Mateusz Perkowski | March 11, 2025 | Capital Press Public interest considerations couldn’t weigh on water rights transfers under an Oregon House bill, clashing with Senate legislation that would strengthen environmental reviews of such transactions. Proponents say House Bill 3501 would simply preserve the “status quo,” since state water regulators already don’t consider the

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Stay Hydrated on the Trail This Spring with WaterWatch’s 40th Anniversary YETI Water Bottle

Spring is nearly here, and that means it’s time to stretch, shake the winter off your legs, and get some mud on your boots as the weather warms and the trails clear — at least at lower elevations. To help plan your first hikes of the year, we’ve included a link to our Springtime River

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Work Continues on Pomeroy Dam Project, Improving Illinois River Health

By Brinkley Hill | March 7, 2025 | KDRV News The Pomeroy Dam was demolished and removed from the Illinois River during the summer of 2024, but the overall project continues this spring with infrastructure improvements to benefit native fish habitat and river ecosystems. WaterWatch of Oregon, a statewide environmental organization focused on streamflows and

Work Continues on Pomeroy Dam Project, Improving Illinois River Health Read More »

Action Needed — Speak Out Against a Terrible Bill for Rivers!

We have an urgent matter that needs your attention NOW. Please speak up in opposition to HB 3501, a terrible bill that would prohibit the state from considering public interest values, including effects on fish, wildlife, and water quality, when evaluating applications to change existing water rights in a process called a “transfer.” Background: While other states

Action Needed — Speak Out Against a Terrible Bill for Rivers! Read More »

Lawmakers May Overhaul Oregon Water Grant Rules

By Mateusz Perkowski | Feb. 22, 2025 | Capital Press Oregon lawmakers may overhaul grant-making policies for water projects, which an environmental group worries would undermine public benefits in the name of improving efficiency. The Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Agriculture Committee have introduced House Bill 3364, which would revise numerous rules for

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Farm Groups Leery of Water Measurement Bill

By Mateusz Perkowski | Feb. 21, 2025 | Capital Press Oregon farm organizations are leery of a bill that would buttress the state government’s authority to require irrigators to measure and report water use. State regulators have been able to require irrigators to measure water use under certain circumstances for more than a century, but

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Take Action NOW on SB 427 — Oregon Rivers Need Water, and Our Help

Oregon’s outdated water laws have long favored extraction over protection, but we have a chance to do something about it — in this legislative session. We have an opportunity to close a harmful regulatory loophole in Oregon’s water transfer laws which allows old water rights to serve new uses, move to new diversion points, or change the place of

Take Action NOW on SB 427 — Oregon Rivers Need Water, and Our Help Read More »

Irrigator Group Wants More “Teeth” for Aquifer Recharge Proposal

By Mateusz Perkowski | Feb. 14, 2025 | Capital Press Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill to expedite aquifer recharge projects but a group of irrigators is questioning whether the proposal goes far enough. Under House Bill 2988, state agencies would be directed to “reduce barriers” and expand the practice of recharging aquifers, which included

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Action Alert — Speak Up Now for Critical Investments in Oregon’s Waters!

Feb. 17, 2025 As our climate grows increasingly warmer and drier, Oregon needs effective science and data-driven water management. With climate change and water scarcity upon us, it’s imperative that Oregon invest in its water. The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) is charged with managing Oregon’s waters, but the agency needs data, science, and management positions

Action Alert — Speak Up Now for Critical Investments in Oregon’s Waters! Read More »

Show Your Love for Oregon Rivers with One of Our Valentine’s Day River Cards

Feb. 14, 2025 Despite the chaos and uncertainty unfolding in Washington with our federal government, WaterWatch of Oregon continues our tireless work and advocacy day after day for cold, free-flowing Oregon rivers — including your favorite river! So with today being Valentine’s Day, show your love and support for Oregon’s rivers by sharing one of

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WaterWatch of Oregon 40th Anniversary YETI Water Bottles

This year marks WaterWatch of Oregon’s 40th anniversary — that’s 40 years of fighting for cold, healthy, and free-flowing rivers in Oregon. With your help, we’ve spent four decades advocating and working for instream water rights, water policy reform, removal of obsolete dams and fish passage barriers, and sustainable and equitable water management here in Oregon,

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Fishermen, Conservationists Seek Intervention in Winchester Dam Case

Feb. 10, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, please contact:Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, jim@waterwatch.org Groups’ Petition for Party Status: https://shorturl.at/xf5eZExhibit A of Petition: https://shorturl.at/ITXd7Exhibit B of Petition: https://shorturl.at/lBVyOExhibit C of Petition: https://shorturl.at/dYf6i Fishermen, Conservationists Seek Intervention in Winchester Dam CaseSalmon, steelhead, and livelihoods at stake in case over dam’s outdated passage facilities. Winchester,

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Officials Remove Antiquated Pomeroy Dam After 125 Years — Here’s Why It’s Worth Celebrating

By Claire Huber | Jan. 27, 2025 | The Cool Down The privately-owned Pomeroy Dam in southern Oregon has been removed from the Illinois River. As detailed by KLCC Radio, removing this dam will allow migratory fish native to the Illinois River to pass the irrigation dam’s original site without harm for the first time

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