by Bill Poehler, Statesman Journal | December 2019 | The Statesman Journal Joel Rue welcomed a group of fellow farmers and friends into his home in Victor Point, located in a canyon between Silverton and Silver Falls State Park, in 2005. Over the next few hours, the farmers from around Mt. Angel explained how for […]
By Peter Wong | Nov. 27, 2019 | Hillsboro News-Times When the largest public works project in Washington County is completed seven years from now, it will draw millions of gallons from the Willamette River and deliver the water to Hillsboro, the Tualatin Valley Water District (TVWD), and Beaverton. For Hillsboro, the Willamette Water Supply
Officials Explain Benefits of Drawing Water from the Willamette River Read More »
By Jim McCarthy | Sept. 10, 2019 | The Osprey As climate change stresses salmon, the benefits of Rogue dam removals stand out. The Rogue River, in Oregon, is one of the most productive salmon and steelhead rivers in the Pacific Northwest, with five runs of salmon and steelhead, plus lamprey and cutthroat trout. Yet,
by John DeVoe, WaterWatch Executive Director | 25 Sept 2019 | The Bend Source Weekly On Oct. 4, a long awaited proposal from eight irrigation districts and the City of Prineville called a Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) will be made public. The Plan, and an accompanying draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will outline and
by WaterWatch of Oregon Staff | 5 Aug 2019 | Bend Source Weekly On Sunday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a press release that House Bill 2437 is one of the bills that she may veto before Aug. 9. WaterWatch of Oregon is urging the Governor to indeed veto this bill. We also want to
The state has done little to prevent water scarcity as climate change and population growth take hold by Emily Green | 5 Jul 2019 | StreetRoots 2015 was not a good year for water in Oregon. It was the third year in a row of drought. As spring and summer slogged on, 25 counties across the
Recently, WaterWatch executive director John DeVoe sat down with Phil Busse, journalist and host of XRAY Radio’s “The Non-Profit Hour.” The two talked about all things water during a leisurely half-hour conversation that also included tidbits on Handel and James McMurtry’s “Levelland.” Click to listen to their conversation.
The two bills present a test for Gov. Kate Brown. By Nigel Jaquiss | 12 Jun 2019 | Willamette Week Last month, Portland commemorated the 71st anniversary of the Vanport Flood, which killed 15 people and displaced 40,000 from a black neighborhood in North Portland. But state officials may not have learned all the lessons
FOR 30 YEARS, POWERFUL OREGON INTERESTS INCLUDING CITIES, FARMERS, INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE BEEN SLUGGING IT OUT FOR ACCESS TO THE WATER. Bill Poehler and Tracy Loew, Salem Statesman Journal Published 6:00 a.m. PT May 29, 2019 | Updated 9:21 a.m. PT May 30, 2019 Billions of gallons of water have been hidden behind the
Rights to water stored by Willamette dams up for grabs; cities, farmers, fish compete Read More »
News Release Contact: Greg Haller greg@pacificrivers.org (208) 790-4105 (Pacific Rivers) Joseph Bogaard joseph@wildsalmon.org (206) 286-4455 (Save Our Wild Salmon/SOS) Trish Rolfe trolfe@celp.org (206) 829-8299 (Center for Environmental Law & Policy/CELP) John Osborn MD john@waterplanet.ws (509) 939-1290 (Sierra Club) Letter to State Department: <http://www.waterplanet.ws/pdf/Letter_to_State_Dept_083118.pdf> A broad coalition of conservation, sports, and fishing organizations today delivered
2017 Oregon Legislative Roundup The 2017 legislative session ended in early July. It was busy, with 2,829 bills introduced and over 800 passed. Thanks to the help of WaterWatch members we were able to protect funding for critical agency programs, highlight long-term water management reform, defeat a number of misguided water policy bills, and finally
Vanport Flood’s legacy in Columbia River dams: Guest opinion Updated May 30, 1:36 PM; Posted May 30, 1:15 PM Vanport Flood (LC- Oregon Historical Society) The Oregonian/OregonLive By John DeVoe A building on Second Avenue in Portland has two small markers: One says “High Water Mark – 1894.” That marker is about at my shoulder level. The second
Vanport Flood’s legacy in Columbia River dams: Guest opinion Read More »
Last Chance – Please help Oregon’s rivers now and in the future by showing your support for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Water Program! Just a friendly reminder that ODFW is currently in the process of developing its 2019-2021 budget request. Today, May 1, is the last chance to submit written comments. Please send in
By Rob Chaney | April 13, 2018 | The Missoulian Fire up half a dozen bulldozers over a summer and Canada could turn the Kootenai River away from Libby Dam and pour its water into the Columbia River. Nobody’s planning to do that. But somebody thought it was significant enough to include in the 1964
Columbia River Treaty Watchers Hope to Right 50 Years of Wrongs Read More »
Please help Oregon’s rivers now and in the future by showing your support for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Water Program! Hi Supporter, The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Water Quality and Quantity Program plays a vital role in protecting water in our state’s iconic rivers. Whether it’s reviewing new water right
Ask Governor Brown to Close the “Stockwatering” Loophole in Oregon’s Water Laws Lost Valley Farm, Photo credit: Brian Posewitz Oregon’s water laws allow for certain “exempt” uses of water that do not require a permit. These exempt uses are typically smaller in nature – for example, for rural residences or gardens (15,000 gallons of water
Ask Governor Brown to Close the “Stockwatering” Loophole in Oregon’s Water Laws Read More »
Urgent Salmon Alert – Stop HR 3144! Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers and her allies in Congress are pushing anti-salmon legislation to roll back protections and overturn court decisions that will push salmon and orca closer to extinction. ACT NOW – ASK YOUR REPRESENTATIVES to stop HR 3144 and protect wild salmon and steelhead from extinction.
For Immediate Release April 9, 2018 Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731 Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, 503-380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, 503-283-6343 Maura Fahey, Crag Law Center, 503-525-2722 Medford, OR – A U.S. Magistrate Judge has issued a ruling ordering the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to release key portions of
Conservation groups to file lawsuit over Klamath River water flow By The Associated Press April 4, 2013 GRANTS PASS — Two conservation groups warned federal agencies Thursday they plan to sue to get more water devoted to protected salmon in the Klamath River. Oregon Wild and WaterWatch of Oregon filed a 60-day notice of intent
Conservation groups to file lawsuit over Klamath River water flow Read More »
Please help Oregon’s rivers now and in the future by showing your support for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Water Program! Hi Supporter, The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Water Quality and Quantity Program plays a vital role in protecting water in our state’s iconic rivers. Whether it’s reviewing new water right
Klamath Advocates Condemn Bureau of Reclamation’s Willful Destruction of the “Everglades of the West” Conservationists Call on Gov. Kate Brown, Senators Wyden and Merkley to Stop Likely Catastrophic Waterfowl Die-Off, Hold Bureau Accountable for Longstanding Waste and Abuse Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 708-0731 Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 380-9728 Steve Pedery,
Klamath Advocates Condemn Destruction of the “Everglades of the West” Read More »
For Immediate Release March 26, 2018 Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 708-0731 Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, (503) 283-6342 Conservationists Call on Gov. Kate Brown, Senators Wyden and Merkley to Stop Likely Catastrophic Waterfowl Die-Off, Hold Bureau Accountable for Longstanding Waste and Abuse Today three conservation
State should slam shut loophole that allowed dairy to tap aquifer Statesman Journal Editorial Board March 24, 2018 Water is a finite natural resource. So Oregon taxpayers should never have to read that state officials have no idea how much water a commercial operation is taking out of an endangered aquifer.
State should slam shut loophole that allowed dairy to tap aquifer Read More »
Help Stop the Water Grab Endangering Klamath Waterfowl! We need your help to avoid another catastrophic die-off of migratory birds in the Klamath Basin. As millions of migrating birds bear down on the Klamath Basin this spring, the wetlands of Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge may be utterly dry. Lower Klamath, the first federally-designated waterfowl refuge
Help Stop the Water Grab Endangering Klamath Waterfowl! Read More »
State officials let mega-dairy use loophole to tap endangered Oregon aquifer By: Tracy Loew, Statesman Journal March 22, 2018 A year after it opened, Oregon’s second-largest dairy has not secured rights to the nearly 1 million gallons of water per day it needs for its thousands of cows and to process milk. Instead, Lost Valley Farm near Boardman moved ahead
State officials let mega-dairy use loophole to tap endangered Oregon aquifer Read More »
GUEST VIEWPOINT New treaty must address ecosystem concerns By John DeVoe The Register-Guard January 28, 2018
For Immediate Release January 8, 2018 Contacts: Bob Sallinger, Audubon Society of Portland, (503) 380-9728 Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild, (503) 283-6342 Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 708-0731 Conservationists Challenge Improper Management Plan for “Everglades of the West” MEDFORD – Today three conservation groups, Audubon Society of Portland, Oregon Wild and WaterWatch of Oregon argued
WaterWatch finished the year strong! Check out our latest accomplishments in our newsletter Click here to read newsletter!
Thanks to our supporters, WaterWatch had an outstanding 2017! Click here to see some of this year’s accomplishments, as well as projects going in to 2018.
December 11, 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Greg Haller, Conservation Director at Pacific Rivers: (503) 228-3555; greg@pacificrivers.org Joseph Bogaard, Executive Director at Save our Wild Salmon Coalition: (206) 300-1003; joseph@wildsalmon.org On December 7th the U.S. Department of State announced that formal negotiations with Canada over the fate of the fifty-three year old U.S.-Canada Columbia River
For Immediate Release December 7, 2017 Contact: Lisa Brown, WaterWatch of Oregon Staff Attorney, 503-295-4039 Ext 4, lisa@waterwatch.org Grant Werschkull, Smith River Alliance, 916-715-9898, grant@smithriveralliance.org Click here for more information on this decision Click here for a map of the area Victory for North Fork Smith River Today, WaterWatch of Oregon, American Rivers, Smith River
Thanks to everyone who came out and made our 15th Annual Celebration of Oregon Rivers such a success! Check out photos of the event taken by Nina Johnson on Facebook!
15TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF OREGON RIVERS- THANK YOU! Read More »
Oregon Court of Appeals Upholds Order Against McKenzie River Water Speculators Another Victory for McKenzie River and WaterWatch November 15, 2017 Order available here. Mckenzie River by Doug Heiken Today, the Oregon Court of Appeals upheld a final order denying the Willamette Water Company’s controversial application for a permit to withdraw 34 cubic feet per second
Oregon Court of Appeals Upholds Order Against McKenzie River Water Speculators Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2017 CONTACTS Glen Spain | Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations | 541.521.8655 | fish1ifr@aol.com Jim McCarthy |WaterWatch of Oregon | 541.708.0731 | jim@waterwatch.org Stephanie Tsosie | Earthjustice | 505.270.5098 | stsosie@earthjustice.org Judge Denies Irrigators Special Treatment, Millions in Drought Payments Read the Decision Here Washington, D.C. – Judge Marian Blank
Judge Denies Irrigators Special Treatment, Millions in Drought Payments Read More »
Stream of Consciousness: Demanding Environmental Justice in Water Policy; Help Shape the Fate of the Deschutes Basin for the Next Generation; Groundwater Management Reform Still Lacking Despite Ongoing Harm; Water Briefs from Around the State Click here for More!
“Birds Take Backseat to Fish, Farms in the Klamath Basin,” July 24, 2017
Impact of Management Practices on the Klamath Wildlife Refuge Read More »
For Immediate Release July 6, 2017 The Columbia River Basin Holds Immense Natural Capital Value New study shows Columbia River Basin’s natural capital worth $198 billion annually Contact: D.R. Michel, Upper Columbia United Tribes, 509.209.2412, dr@ucut-nsn.org Sara Thompson, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, 503. 238.3567, thos@critfc.org Greg Haller, Pacific Rivers, 503.228.3555 ext. 205, greg@pacificrivers.org Joseph
The Columbia River Basin Holds Immense Natural Capital Value Read More »
Stream of Consciousness: The Wet and the Dry; WaterWatch in the Community; Public Funds Advance Private Grab on Klamath Refuge Waters; 2017 Oregon Legislative Roundup; Suction Dredge Mining Reform; Water Briefs from Around the State; WaterWatch Welcomes Read more here!
Brown signs bill protecting salmon habitat from river mining BY ANDREW THEEN The Oregonian/OregonLive June 14, 2017 Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill Wednesday that protects thousands of miles of critical salmon habitat across much of western Oregon from suction dredge mining.
Brown signs bill protecting salmon habitat from river mining Read More »
By Andrew Theen | April 19, 2017 | The Oregonian A House committee gave its blessing this week to a bill that would charge an annual fee to tens of thousands of Oregon water rights holders — but not without a last second twist. Rep. Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, introduced an amendment to his proposed water user
