By Nicholas K. Geranios | July 24, 2024 | Cascade PBS Politicians are celebrating the tentative agreement, while activists and tribal leaders say it doesn’t do enough to protect endangered salmon runs. The United States and Canada have reached a new deal to manage the mighty Columbia River, an economic and environmental powerhouse that starts […]
U.S. and Canada Agree to Update 60 Year Old Columbia River Treaty Read More »
By Mason Kennedy | July 15, 2024 | Public News Service Oregonians have until July 22 to submit comments on the implementation of new environmental restrictions for the state’s largest farms. When the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 85 last year, regulations were signed into law for Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). Now, the Oregon
Oregon Seeks Public Comment on Large-Scale Farming Regulations Read More »
By Michael Kohn | July 12, 2024 | Bend Bulletin On the last day of 2020, eight irrigation districts in Central Oregon and the city of Prineville entered into a landmark agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their accord, the Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), spelled out in hundreds of pages of
Challenges and Gains for Water Conservation Plan Read More »
By Gene Johnson | July 11, 2024 | Associated Press The U.S. and Canada said Thursday they have agreed to update a six-decade-old treaty that governs the use of one of North America’s largest rivers, the Columbia, with provisions that officials said would provide for effective flood control, irrigation, and hydropower generation and sharing between
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 11, 2024 Media Contacts: Bill Arthur, Sierra Club, billwarthur@gmail.com Joseph Bogaard, Save Our wild Salmon Coalition, joseph@wildsalmon.org Rev. A.C. Churchill, Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power and Light, ac@earthministry.org John DeVoe, WaterWatch of Oregon, john@waterwatch.org Columbia River Treaty “Agreement in Principle” Prioritizes Hydropower and Flood Control Over the Needs of Imperiled
By the Jefferson Exchange Team | July 10, 2024 | Jefferson Public Radio By one person’s description, Evans Creek went from “a hot bathtub to a flowing stream.” The key was the removal of a dam, more than a century old, 100 feet long, and six feet high. Evans Creek is a Rogue River tributary
Jefferson Exchange: Dam Removals Continue on Rogue River Tributaries Read More »
July 7, 2024 By Jim McCarthy The removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River near the Oregon-California state line is nearly complete. The smallest of the four dams, Copco 2, was removed last summer. The other three, far larger dams were breached this January in preparation for the major structural removal now taking
Instream: A Visitor’s Guide to Klamath Dam Removals Read More »
July 6, 2024 By John DeVoe with Tommy Hough Wenaha River Tim Palmer’s Field Guide to Oregon Rivers calls the Wenaha “one of the Northwest’s wildest streams … with no roads, dams, development or diversions.” He should know. A few years ago, Tim and a couple of friends hiked up the Wenaha from the lower
Instream: Summertime River Hikes Read More »
By Susan Hiland | July 3, 2024 | Grants Pass Daily Courier A work crew last week moved logs into place along the edge of Evans Creek, creating new habitat for small critters to hide and eat in. Just days before, the spot was the site of the old Williams-Whalen Dam, which stood for 128
Williams-Whelan Dam Removal Restores Evans Creek Flow Read More »
By Shaun Hall | July 1, 2024 | Rogue Valley Times Another small dam has been removed in Southern Oregon to improve fish habitat. The 150-foot-wide, five-foot-high Williams-Whalen Dam on Evans Creek was demolished last week about 12.7 miles upriver from its confluence with the Rogue River. “This is great news for salmon and steelhead
Third Dam Removed, Fish Passage Improved on Evans Creek Read More »
June 26, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information please contact:Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 941-9450, jim@waterwatch.orgBrian Barr, Rogue River Watershed Council, (541) 621-7226, bbarr@rogueriverwc.org Williams-Whalen Dam before and after removal images are available here: https://tinyurl.com/54dfjadxCredit photos to Rogue River Watershed Council/Crystal Nichols Third Dam Removal Completed in Nine Years in Rogue’s Evans Creek SubbasinCollaborative
Third Dam Removal Completed in Nine Years in Rogue River’s Evans Creek Subbasin Read More »
June 13, 2024 After an exhaustive hiring process, WaterWatch is happy to announce the hiring of Jesse Robbins, who started work this week in WaterWatch of Oregon’s newly-created development officer position. A graduate of Bates College in Maine, Jesse received a B.A. in economics with studies that culminated in a thesis that examined the economic benefits
Welcome WaterWatch Development Officer Jesse Robbins Read More »
By the Source Editorial Board | June 5, 2024 | The Source Weekly This year has been better than many, but the effects of years of drought are still among us. You’ve likely heard the doom-tales: aquifers depleted, rivers low, wells going dry. Over the past 20 years or so, the West has experienced a
A Change In Groundwater Allocation Rules Is Long Overdue Read More »
By Emily Cureton Cook and Alejandro Figueroa | May 30, 2024 | Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) Oregon lawmakers and water users will be keeping a close eye on the man who could soon lead the agency in charge of water rights, farm irrigation rules and oversight of drinking water wells. Oregon senators are expected to
Oregon Senate Expected to Vote on State Water Director Pick by End of the Week Read More »
By Julianna LaFollette | May 29, 2024 | The Source Weekly The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) is proposing new rules on how groundwater is allocated to better conserve water. The update would allow OWRD to assess if groundwater is available to support future groundwater rights. The proposed rules would guide OWRD in granting new
Oregon Set to Update How Groundwater Is Allocated Read More »
May 21, 2024 The public comment period has now closed on this initiative. If enacted, long-overdue updates to the state’s groundwater allocation rules will begin to rein in Oregon’s decades-long pattern of over-issuing pumping rights, and implement the guidelines of Oregon’s forward-looking, landmark 1955 Ground Water Act, including proposed changes to better account for impacts
Written Remarks in Support of Revised Groundwater Allocation Rules Read More »
May 20, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information please contact: Tommy Hough (pr: “how”), WaterWatch of Oregon, tommy@waterwatch.org WHEN: Tuesday, May 21st – 5:30 to 9 p.m. (information session to begin at 5:30 p.m., public meeting to begin at 7 p.m.) WHERE: North Mall Office Building 725 Summer St. NE Room 124 Salem, OR 97301 WHAT:
May 17, 2024 All this week WaterWatch of Oregon has been spotlighting wildlife in the lead-up to today’s observance of Endangered Species Day, highlighting the importance and value of the landmark 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the plight of threatened aquatic species in Oregon. Since the ESA was signed into law on Dec. 28,
WaterWatch Endangered Species Day Gallery Read More »
By Mateusz Perkowski | May 10, 2024 | Capital Press Water advocates of all stripes agree Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has nominated someone who knows the ropes to be the state’s top water official. Those hoping for fresh blood at the Oregon Water Resources Department, however, see her choice of a long-time employee, Ivan Gall,
Experienced Regulator Nominated as Oregon’s Top Water Official Read More »
May 10, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information please contact: Tommy Hough, WaterWatch of Oregon, tommy@waterwatch.org Oregon Water Partnership Supports Appointment of Ivan Gall as Director of Oregon Water Resources Department Oregon Senate to begin confirmation process of 26-year agency veteran at the end of May. Salem, Oregon — The Oregon Water Partnership (OWP) supports
By Ian James | May 3, 2024 | Los Angeles Times Workers have begun dismantling the largest dam on the Klamath River, using machinery to scoop the first loads of rocks from an earthen barrier that has stood near the border of California and Oregon for more than six decades. Several Indigenous leaders and activists
Activists See New Beginning with Dismantling of Largest Klamath River Dam Read More »
By Juliet Grable | May 2, 2024 | Jefferson Public Radio Deconstruction of Iron Gate dam, the lowest of the four dams along the Oregon-California border, has begun. The day began clear and chilly. By 8 a.m., the temperature hovered around freezing. Leaf Hillman and Lisa Morehead-Hillman, Karuk Tribal members who have spent decades advocating
The Klamath River’s Iron Gate Comes Down, One Scoop at a Time Read More »
April 22, 2024 Dear Friends, From all of us WaterWatch of Oregon, I’d like to wish you a Happy Earth Day! On this Earth Day, I would like to extend our gratitude to the Earth and all the ways it supports and sustains life. Here in Oregon, we are so fortunate to have a plethora
Earth Day Greetings from Our Executive Director Read More »
April 18, 2024 By Lisa Brown After an exhaustive and scientifically rigorous process, the Oregon Water Resources Department published proposed groundwater allocation rules reliant upon science and data to implement Oregon’s forward-looking 1955 Ground Water Act — and put Oregon on a more sustainable path to smart, sensible, environmentally-sound groundwater allocation. On March 1st, the
Instream: At Long Last, Revised Groundwater Rules for Oregon Read More »
By Michael Kohn | April 13, 2024 | Bend Bulletin Amid patches of snow and ponderosa pines, a half mile from Lava Island Falls in the Deschutes River, a pair of hydrologists with the Oregon Water Resources Department dropped a cable down an observation well to determine the depth of groundwater near Bend. The cable
Declining Aquifer Levels Raise Alarm Among Central Oregon Hydrologists and Officials Read More »
By Zach Freed | April 10, 2024 | Bend Bulletin Groundwater levels are falling around Oregon, drying up wells and streams as drought becomes more frequent and severe. Oregonians must make smart water choices to protect our rivers and drinking water for the long term. Durable water solutions in Oregon require a science-informed approach. Pumping
Securing a Strong Water Future for Oregon Read More »
March 27, 2024 Note: We’re currently between Oregon Water Resources Department comment periods for the IWRS update. When the state resumes taking comments we’ll let you know — thanks! The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) will soon resume collecting public comments on its ongoing update of the state’s Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS). Originally adopted
Comment on the State’s Integrated Water Resource Strategy (IWRS) Update Read More »
By Lauren Dake | March 22, 2024 | Oregon Public Broadcasting “From our point of view, if the state is going to give direct appropriations there should be transparency in the process and the projects should be explained at length so the public can have the opportunity to weigh in on them and understand if
Oregon Lawmakers Send Money for Housing Projects Down the Drain — Literally Read More »
By Alejandro Figueroa | March 21, 2024 | Oregon Public Broadcasting “Groundwater is critical to life. If we want to have farms in Oregon in the future, we need to get a handle on the groundwater crisis or everybody’s going to lose. And these rules are the first step to doing that.” — Neil Brandt
Oregon Proposes New Groundwater Rules to Add Clarity, Define Stable Levels Read More »
March 20, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ahead of World Water Day, Oregon Water Partnership Recognizes Progress in 2024 Legislative Session Coalition applauds Legislature’s attention to important water issues during 32-day “short session.” Salem, Oregon — The Oregon Water Partnership (OWP) applauds the Oregon Legislature’s attention to important water issues during the 32-day “short session,” including
Oregon Water Partnership Recognizes Progress in 2024 Legislative Session Read More »
March 19, 2024 By John DeVoe and Tommy Hough From flowering cherry blossoms and happy daffodils, to explosions of pollen clouding car windows from Astoria to Klamath Falls, there’s no doubt spring has arrived in Oregon. And if the longer days and warmer weather haven’t already sent you into the garage to search for your
Springtime River Hikes and Cycling Outings Around Oregon Read More »
March 13, 2024 WaterWatch of Oregon is seeking a Development Officer 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 a non‐profit organization founded in 1985 with a mission to protect and restore streamflows in Oregon’s rivers for
WaterWatch of Oregon Hiring Full-Time Development Officer Read More »
By Antonio Sierra | March 7, 2024 | Oregon Public Broadcasting As the state looks to reduce E. coli in Baker County’s Powder River, county officials question DEQ’s data and conclusions. Oregon has measured high levels of fecal bacteria in Baker County’s Powder River for years, and now they’re readying regulations to lower it. But
Powder River Clean-Up Plan Runs Into Blowback from Baker County Read More »
By Kendra Chamberlain | Feb. 29, 2024 | Columbia Insight In 2012, President Barack Obama praised a deal the city of Medford had made with the state to pay for shade trees to be planted along the Rogue River in order to offset the impacts of warm water discharges from the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
Oregon’s Thermal Trading Program is Popular — It’s Also Expensive and Unproven Read More »
By Kurtis Alexander | Feb. 22, 2024 | San Francisco Chronicle The nation’s largest dam-removal project, the dismantling of four hydroelectric dams near the border of California and Oregon border, may be the end of one story — but it’s the beginning of another. The native Shasta people, who were exiled from the banks of the
As Massive Klamath Dam Removal Project Nears Completion, Who Gets Once-Submerged Land? Read More »
Feb. 16, 2024 The outcome of a hearing in Marion County Circuit Court in Salem could have a big impact on the fate of Winchester Dam, and by extension the North Umpqua River’s struggling salmon and steelhead populations, as a motion filed by the Oregon Water Resources Department (WRD) to dismiss an earlier water storage
Court Hearing in Winchester Dam Water Storage Case Read More »
Feb. 16, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information, please contact: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, jim@waterwatch.orgWHO: Winchester Water Control District v. Oregon Water Resources Department, Dwight French (Case No. 23CV33445) WHAT: Hearing on Oregon Water Resources Department Motion to Dismiss WHEN: Friday, February 16, 2024 WHERE: Marion County Circuit Court, Salem, Oregon Documents relevant to
Court Hearing in Winchester Dam Water Storage Case Read More »
Feb. 14, 2024 Thanks to everyone who attended this wonderful event with Amy Gulick on March 5th! Photos are posted at our WaterWatch of Oregon Flickr account. At WaterWatch we’re working to restore historic salmon runs in Oregon by protecting instream water rights, removing obsolete dams, and reforming groundwater pumping rules to preserve the connectivity
WaterWatch Presents Author and Photographer Amy Gulick Read More »
By Anna Kaminski | Feb. 6, 2024 | Bend Bulletin The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, local land use watchdog organization Central Oregon LandWatch and a trio of Deschutes County residents have appealed a recent state land use decision on the Thornburgh destination resort as a part of an ongoing battle over the resort’s water
Latest Thornburgh Resort Decision Appealed to State Court of Appeals Read More »
By Connie Page | Feb. 4, 2024 | Roseburg News-Review I have seen multiple letters and programs recently about removing the Winchester Dam. I appreciate all the effort being put forward by local citizens. With over 111,000 citizens in Douglas County, and only 100-plus benefitting from this dam, I am surprised we have not heard
Winchester Dam: Setting a River Free is a Noble Deed Read More »
