By Bill Poehler | Nov. 8, 2024 | Salem Statesman Journal Oregon Supreme Court justices Thursday heard an appeal of a ruling denying a water right to a group of farmers in Marion and Clackamas counties who want to build a dam on a creek where cutthroat trout spawn. The lawyer for the East Valley […]
Oregon Justices Hear Appeal from Farmers Who Want to Build a Dam on Drift Creek Read More »
Nov. 8, 2024 I realize many of us have been feeling upset, anxious, and concerned over the last couple of days. The presidential election results present new and unprecedented challenges for the environment and the conservation movement. It’s understandable to feel disheartened. While there is no doubt the second Trump administration will bring fresh threats
A Message from Our Executive Director on the Presidential Election Read More »
Nov. 7, 2024 WaterWatch of Oregon was at the Oregon Supreme Court today for oral arguments to defend our victory last year at the Court of Appeals on an instream water right on Drift Creek, a tributary of the Pudding and Molalla rivers. These arguments are the latest in a case dating back to 2014, when
By Lily Roby | Nov. 7, 2024 | Courthouse News After more than two decades of fighting, the East Valley Water District appeared before the Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday to once again push for approval of a water permit for a proposed dam. The district — which represents farmers between Silverton, Woodburn, and Molalla
Battle Over Oregon Dam Reaches State Supreme Court Read More »
By Zach Urness | Nov. 6, 2024 | Salem Statesman Journal The city of Lebanon on Monday requested an “immediate halt” to the drawdown of Green Peter Reservoir amid increasingly turbid water in the South Santiam River that is challenging the city’s drinking water systems. The city made the request as the amount of sediment in
Oregon Denies Lebanon’s Request to End Reservoir Drawdowns Read More »
Nov. 2, 2024 Staff and board at WaterWatch of Oregon are heartbroken to learn of the death of long-time Oregon conservationist Bob Sallinger, who served as the executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper and Bird Conservation Oregon, in addition to his 30 years as conservation director at the Bird Alliance of Oregon in its previous incarnation
WaterWatch Statement on the Passing of Bob Sallinger Read More »
Last spring the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced it had applied for over 260 new instream water rights in the Willamette River system to protect instream flows for native fish and wildlife, including applications in the North Willamette, Mid-Willamette, and South Willamette basins. Public comment for streams and tributaries in the North
Your Support for New Willamette Instream Water Right Applications is Invaluable Read More »
Oct. 31, 2024 A year has passed since WaterWatch completed a priority fish barrier removal project on Takelma Creek in the Illinois River subbasin of the Rogue, and positive responses continue to pour in from both the local salmon population and the region’s scientific community. The multi-faceted Takelma project opened access to 3.5 miles of
Accolades and Salmon Follow Another Rogue Basin Dam Removal Read More »
By Alex Baumhardt | Oct. 31, 2024 | Oregon Capital Chronicle More than 20 groups across the U.S. said nitrate from farm fertilizers and manure is contaminating drinking water and disproportionately hurting rural communities. Nonprofit community groups in Oregon and nationwide are calling on elected leaders and officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Oct. 29, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Bruno PigottActing Assistant Administrator of WaterU.S. EPA Office of Water1201 Constitution Ave. NWWashington, DC 20004 Dear Mr. Pigott, Everyone in America deserves access to clean drinking water. But in multiple states and rural communities across the country, the undersigned organizations have documented numerous instances where communities face increasing threats
Oct. 25, 2024 The fall issue of our Instream newsletter is arriving in mailboxes now, and despite teases the cover photo is an image of a plant, blood vessel, or microbe, it’s actually a portion of the Wild and Scenic stretch of the Rogue River. Taken by cartographer Daniel Coe, who has designed maps for National Geographic, Atlas
The Fall Issue of Our Instream Newsletter is Arriving in Mailboxes Now Read More »
Oct. 24, 2024 By John DeVoe For thousands of years, cultures and economies and ways of life have been tied to the Columbia River and its fish. The Columbia River is, by volume, the fourth-largest river in the United States. While 40 percent of the river’s mileage is in Canada, for some, the international border
Instream: Missed Opportunities in the Columbia River Treaty Update Read More »
Oct. 24, 2024 By Jesse Robbins For trout anglers in Oregon, fall and winter are especially intriguing times of year. Across the state are numerous trout fisheries available to anglers willing to put on some extra layers. Three are discussed here, and there’s enough water between them to keep any angler busy for both seasons.
Casting a Line: Fall and Winter Fishing in Oregon Read More »
Oct. 24, 2024 By Jim McCarthy We’re thrilled and honored to announce the WaterWatch-led Takelma Creek Barrier Removal Project, completed in 2023, has won the 2024 Western District American Fisheries Society Award of Excellence in Riparian Management. This multi-faceted project is primarily located on Siskiyou Field Institute property in the Illinois River subbasin of the
Instream: WaterWatch-Led Fish Barrier Removal Project Wins Award Read More »
Oct. 24, 2024 By Jim McCarthy While it seemed unfathomable to some a few short years ago, the largest dam removal in U.S. history wrapped up this summer as structural demolition ended on the lower four Klamath River dams. Beginning with the removal of Copco No. 2 last year, this historic success marks a victory
Instream: Klamath River Hydro Complex Demolition Concludes, But Work Remains Read More »
Oct. 24, 2024 By WaterWatch of Oregon Staff In a monumental step forward for Oregon’s water future, the Oregon Water Resources Commission unanimously voted on Sept. 12th to adopt rigorous new groundwater allocation rules for the state. As an organization that has long highlighted the ongoing over-allocation of groundwater in Oregon, WaterWatch is thrilled to
Instream: Groundwater Success and a Victory Worth Savoring Read More »
Oct. 22, 2024 We need your help generating support for new legal protections for instream flows for fish along the middle basin of the Willamette River, including segments of the North, Middle, and South forks of the Santiam River, Calapooia River, Luckiamute River, Long Tom River, West Fork Marys River, and many more. As we
Oct. 7, 2024 Great weather, great food, and great company made for a fantastic time on Saturday, Oct. 5th, as WaterWatch celebrated our 22nd Annual Celebration of Oregon’s Rivers at the World Forestry Center in Portland’s Washington Park. And while it was a pleasant, dry fall evening, you made it rain under the tent for
Thank You for Helping Us Hit Our Goals with Another Annual Fundraising Success! Read More »
By Kurtis Alexander | Oct. 4, 2024 | San Francisco Chronicle In an early victory for the nation’s largest dam removal project, the first salmon in more than a century is believed to have pushed up the Klamath River this past week into waters formerly blocked by dams. Scientists with the nonprofit California Trout told
First Sighting of Salmon in 100 Years Marks Key Milestone for Landmark Dam Removals Read More »
Oct. 5, 2024 We’ve arrived! Today is the day of our annual auction event. We can’t wait to see you this evening at our 22nd Annual Celebration of Oregon Rivers! To help you get ready, we’ve added some final details and reminders below. Please feel free to connect with development officer Jesse Robbins if you
WaterWatch’s 22nd Annual Celebration of Oregon’s Rivers — What to Know Before You Go Read More »
Sept. 26, 2024 We need your help TODAY to support new legal protections for instream flows for fish in Oregon’s beloved Willamette River system! Comments are due today at 5 p.m., so please TAKE ACTION NOW. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has applied for 269 new instream water rights, including 102 in the
Deadline to Support for Flow Protections for North Willamette is Today at 5 p.m. Read More »
Sept. 14, 2024 WaterWatch was thrilled to present angler, musician, and Mountaineers Books author Steve Duda for two of his recent Oregon appearances to promote his book River Songs: Moments of Wild Wonder in Fly Fishing in a special evening at Powell’s Books in Beaverton on Aug. 22nd, and Roundabout Books in Bend on
Thank You to Everyone Who Joined Us for Our Events with Author Steve Duda Read More »
By KTVZ Staff | Sept. 12, 2024 | KTVZ News The Oregon Water Resources Commission voted unanimously Thursday to adopt updates to Oregon’s groundwater allocation rules, “marking a historic step in how the state manages and allocates groundwater,” according to the agency and its supporters while critics of the new rules said they will press
Water Resources Commission Adopts Update to Groundwater Allocation Rules Read More »
By Emily Cureton Cook | Sept. 12, 2024 | Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon water regulators have spent the last three years working on a plan to prevent groundwater declines that could cause roughly 40,000 home wells statewide to dry up. That plan now has a crucial greenlight. The Oregon Water Resources Commission unanimously voted for
Groundwater Rights in Oregon Just Got Even More Valuable — Here’s Why Read More »
Sept. 12, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, please contact: Tommy Hough, WaterWatch of Oregon, tommy@waterwatch.org Zach Freed, The Nature Conservancy, zach.freed@tnc.org Oregon Water Partnership Applauds Adoption of New Groundwater Rules Coalition of conservation nonprofits commends state water commission for finalizing long-needed groundwater rules that will better protect drinking water, support farming, safeguard fish
Oregon Water Partnership Applauds Adoption of New Groundwater Rules Read More »
Sept. 12, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, please contact:Tommy Hough, tommy@waterwatch.org WaterWatch of Oregon Commends State on Finalization of Long-Needed Groundwater Allocation Rule UpdatesRevised rules herald new era of water sustainability, marks conclusion of lengthy process to put state into alignment with mandates set out in Oregon’s landmark 1955 Groundwater Act. Central Point,
Water Resources Commission Adopts Amended Groundwater Rules in Unanimous Vote Read More »
Hosted by Mike Green | Sept. 11, 2024 | Jefferson Public Radio Jim McCarthy, Southern Oregon program director at WaterWatch of Oregon, joined the Jefferson Exchange to discuss the controversy over incomplete repairs of the 134-year-old Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River in Douglas County, and the growing movement to remove it altogether. Listen
Jim McCarthy on Campaign to Remove Winchester Dam on JPR’s Jefferson Exchange Read More »
Sept. 6, 2024 Several WaterWatch staff and board members made a quick trip to The Dalles in early September to visit the glass blowing studio of artist and WaterWatch supporter Andy Nichols, who has been donating amazing glass sculptures of native fish to the annual WaterWatch auction for the last several years. A brand new
WaterWatch Visit to Artist Andy Nichols’ Studio in The Dalles Read More »
Aug. 19, 2024 There was no shortage of crowds or environmentally-engaged Oregonians from around the state at the 25th annual PDX Adult Soapbox Derby at Portland’s Mount Tabor on Saturday, Aug. 17th. With a variety of colorful soapbox racers hurtling by, our WaterWatch team of executive director Neil Brandt, administrative assistant Monet Hampson, and communications
WaterWatch Meets PDX Adult Soapbox Derby Attendees Read More »
Aug. 18, 2024 By Neil Brandt with WaterWatch Staff Oregon recently welcomed new directors at three of the state’s natural resource agencies with missions related to water, including Ivan Gall at the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), Debbie Colbert at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and Sara O’Brien at the Oregon Watershed
Opportunities to Secure Oregon’s Sustainable Water Future Read More »
By Gloria Coleman | Aug. 3, 2024 | Roseburg News-Review WaterWatch of Oregon, Native Fish Society, The Steamboaters, Umpqua Watersheds, The North Umpqua Foundation, James V. McCarthy and Kirk Blaine submitted a motion to intervene and support the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in the civil lawsuit against the Winchester Water Control District
As WaterWatch recently detailed, along with fellow environmental organizations in a Columbia River Treaty Conservation Caucus press release, and as reported by the Associated Press and PBS, the U.S. and Canada have reached an agreement in principle on some items that were the subject of negotiations in the ongoing update to the Columbia River Treaty. Unfortunately, that update remains focused on utility revenue and flood control at the
Virtual Columbia River Treaty Presentation This Monday at 12 Noon Read More »
By Kurtis Alexander | July 25, 2024 | San Francisco Chronicle The dams, collectively known as the Klamath Hydroelectric Project, were built between 1911 and 1962 to provide electricity. The nation’s largest dam-removal project is moving along faster than planned, with the demolition work on the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border due to wrap
By Samantha Kadera | July 25, 2024 | KDRV-TV News The Klamath Dam removal project is ahead of schedule. Ren Brownell, public information officer for the initiative, provided updates on the progress towards dam removal completion by late August or early September. “We will have volitional fish passage likely end of August, maybe the first
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
July 11, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, please contact:Bill Arthur, Sierra Club, billwarthur@gmail.comJoseph Bogaard, Save Our wild Salmon Coalition, joseph@wildsalmon.orgRev. A.C. Churchill, Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power and Light, ac@earthministry.orgJohn DeVoe, WaterWatch of Oregon, john@waterwatch.org Columbia River Treaty “Agreement in Principle” Prioritizes Hydropower andFlood Control Over the Needs of Imperiled Salmon and
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 »
