By WaterWatch Staff | April 6, 2022 | Instream While groundwater permitting standards require Oregon to determine whether water is available before issuing a new groundwater permit, in practice, the state all too often lacks enough data to make that determination. As a result, and a habit, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) often operates […]
By WaterWatch Staff | April 5, 2022 | Instream In addition to the critical reforms advocated for by WaterWatch to ensure Oregon manages its groundwater in a sustainable manner, funding and agency capacity are also essential. As a result of past underinvestment in groundwater in many areas of the state, the Water Resources Department (OWRD)
State Groundwater Management, Capacity and Investment: A Transformative Package Read More »
By WaterWatch Staff | April 5, 2022 | Instream WaterWatch works across Oregon in administrative, collaborative, legislative and legal forums to advocate for reforms needed to secure sustainable groundwater management. WaterWatch has identified five critical and urgent reforms needed to put Oregon on a course to manage groundwater sustainably: 1 — Stop issuing permits without
Urgent Groundwater Reforms Needed for a Sustainable Water Future Read More »
By WaterWatch Staff | April 5, 2022 | Instream Groundwater provides a myriad of irreplaceable ecological benefits and is the sole source of drinking water for nearly one in four Oregonians. WaterWatch has a long history of working to ensure that Oregon’s management of groundwater preserves the vital role of this resource in maintaining streamflows,
Protecting Groundwater Resources is Critical for Oregon’s Environment and People Read More »
By John DeVoe | April 5, 2022 | Stream of Consciousness Oregon is in the midst of a groundwater crisis, a crisis that, if left unaddressed, will cripple the state’s water future in a climate-changed world. Though some areas of Oregon are already in a groundwater crisis, we can prevent this crisis from spreading to
By Emily Cureton Cook with Rachel Martin | April 4, 2022 | NPR Morning Edition In Oregon’s high desert, a lake more than 10,000 years old is drying up. That doesn’t have to happen. Summer Lake hosts millions of migratory birds annually, but its water is being diverted to farms. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: In southern
It’s Feared a Vital Lake in Oregon Could Run Dry Within a Generation Read More »
By Emily Cureton Cook | March 28, 2022 | Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon has protected land at Summer Lake Wildlife Area since 1944. Water is another story. Under current water rights, vital springs could run dry within a generation. The ground crumbled, kicking dust behind Marty St. Louis as he made his way down an
By Emily Cureton Cook | March 16, 2022 | Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) In Malheur County’s Cow Valley, state regulators have ignored known issues with overpumping groundwater, leaving the region at risk of economic and ecological damage that will be difficult to reverse. The warnings were hard to miss on a forsaken stretch of Highway
Race to the Bottom: How Big Business Took Over Oregon’s First Protected Aquifer Read More »
By Bo Evans | Feb. 24, 2022 | Scripps The Iron Gate Dam, one of four dams on the Klamath River, will be removed in 2023. It will be the largest dam removal in U.S. history. For Pachomio Feliz, the waters of the Klamath River and Pacific are life. He’s a member of the Yurok
Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History Set to Begin Read More »
By Rob Davis | Feb. 21, 2022 | The Oregonian After ignoring its decline for years, state agencies have pledged to help Lake Abert, Oregon’s only saltwater lake and a vital stop on the Pacific Flyway, which has run dry twice in the last eight years. In a Feb. 16 letter to environmental groups, the
By Rob Davis | Jan. 25, 2022 | The Oregonian State lawmakers and environmental groups responded to an investigation by The Oregonian into the state’s failure to protect Lake Abert, Oregon’s only salt lake, by promising oversight hearings and calling for immediate action to restore the migratory bird stop that has run dry twice
“The State Must Do More” — Lawmakers Weigh How to Protect Dry Lake Abert Read More »
By Rob Davis | Jan. 16, 2022 | The Oregonian When Oregon’s only saltwater lake mysteriously dried up in 2014, turning a vibrant landscape teeming with migratory birds into a desiccated, abandoned salt pan, state environmental regulators mobilized. Lake Abert, a 64-square-mile lake in south central Oregon’s high desert, had gone almost completely dry for
By Andrew Selsky and Manuel Valdes | Oct. 25, 2021 | Associated Press Conflicts over water are as old as history itself, but the massive Google data centers on the edge of this Oregon town on the Columbia River represent an emerging 21st century concern. Now a critical part of modern computing, data centers
Big Tech Data Centers Spark Worry Over Scarce Western Water Read More »
Oct. 13, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon Brian Barr, Rogue River Watershed Council Harboldt Dam before and after removal images here: https://tinyurl.com/eaz9kswe Credit photos to Crystal Nichols, Rogue River Watershed Council Three Priority Dam Removals Completed in Rogue’s Applegate Subbasin Collaborative project benefits salmon and steelhead while meeting private land use needs. Wilderville,
Three Priority Dam Removals Completed in Rogue’s Applegate Subbasin Read More »
By WaterWatch Staff | Oct. 10, 2021 | Instream Watch of Oregon is challenging state approval of a plan to dampen the water-temperature impact of a $1.3 billion municipal water withdrawal project on the Willamette River. WaterWatch is asking the Multnomah County Circuit Court to overturn or re-evaluate a decision by the Oregon Department of
WaterWatch Challenges Willamette Water Temperature Plan Read More »
By Bryce Dole | Aug. 26, 2021 | East Oregonian A coalition of environmental groups is calling on Gov. Kate Brown to reject a permit application for the proposed Easterday dairy in Boardman. In a press conference on Aug. 24, leaders from the Stand Up to Factory Farms Coalition said the dairy will exacerbate a
Environmental Coalition Demands State Reject Proposed Easterday Dairy Read More »
Juy 13, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For hearing call-in information, please contact: Jim McCarthy, jim@waterwatch.org Administrative Hearing Underway Over Botched 2018 Winchester Dam Repair River advocates intervene to protect North Umpqua River water quality. Salem, Oregon — River advocates are at work today to hold a polluter accountable for a botched October 2018 repair at
Administrative Hearing Underway Over Botched 2018 Winchester Dam Repair Read More »
By Elizabeth Castillo and David Miller | July 13, 2021 | Oregon Public Broadcasting David Miller from Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Think Out Loud spoke with Jim McCarthy, Southern Oregon program director for WaterWatch, about our longstanding work to protect and restore waterfowl and wetlands in the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and took a
Jim McCarthy of WaterWatch Discusses the Klamath Basin on OPB’s Think Out Loud Read More »
FOR HEARING CALL-IN INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0048, jim@waterwatch.org Administrative Hearing Over Botched 2018 Winchester Dam Repair Begins July 13 River Advocates Intervening to Protect North Umpqua Water Quality Salem – Next week, river advocates will again be working to hold a polluter accountable for a botched October 2018 repair at
By Dawn Stover | May 6, 2021 | Columbia Insight Author Dawn Stover is an independent journalist based in White Salmon, Washington, and a contributing editor at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Cody Easterday is still waiting for the Oregon Department of Agriculture to approve his application, submitted in June 2019, for a Confined
Cheese in the Desert: Why Mega-Dairies Are Piping Water Onto Oregon’s Shrub Steppe Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2021 CONTACT: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0048, jim@waterwatch.org Fishermen, Conservationists Demand Action Against Outlaw Dam Known Safety Issues Still Unrepaired on High-Hazard Winchester Dam Seventeen Months After Owners Put on Notice River Advocates’ Letter Regarding Winchester Dam Safety: https://bit.ly/31wiPB2 Winchester Dam October 2019 State Safety inspection Letter: https://bit.ly/3g4tedU Roseburg
Fishermen, Conservationists Demand Action Against Outlaw Dam Read More »
For Immediate Release, March 16, 2021 Contact: Quinn Read, Center for Biological Diversity, (206) 979-3074, QRead@biologicaldiversity.org John DeVoe, WaterWatch of Oregon, john@waterwatch.org, (503) 295-4039 x 1 Kurt Beardslee, Wild Fish Conservancy, kurt@wildfishconservancy.org, (206) 310-9301 David A. Moskowitz, The Conservation Angler, david@theconservationangler.org, (971) 235-8953 Northwest Senators Urged to Reject Rep. Simpson’s Disastrous Plan for Endangered Salmon
Northwest Senators Urged to Reject Rep. Simpson’s Disastrous Plan for Endangered Salmon Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 14, 2020 CONTACT: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0048, jim@waterwatch.org River Advocates Applaud Ruling Protecting North Umpqua Water Quality Administrative Law Judge Finds Botched Winchester Dam Repairs Not Exempt From Law Link to Ruling: https://bit.ly/39vGBAZ Advocates’ August 2020 Letter Regarding Winchester Dam’s Pollution Record: https://bit.ly/2K4ZkKg DEQ’s Amended Notice of Civil Penalty
River Advocates Applaud Ruling Protecting North Umpqua Water Quality Read More »
By Mateusz Perkowski | Jan. 8, 2021 | Capital Press Oregon irrigators may face complications from the commitment of about 1 million acre-feet of water behind Willamette Valley dams to in-stream environmental purposes. Until now, state water regulators have treated water released from the 13 dams as “live flows,” which can be accessed by irrigators
Oregon Water Allocation May Complicate “Live Flows” Irrigation Read More »
By Mateusz Perkowski | Jan. 8, 2021 | Capital Press Farmers, under new federal law, have gained access to about 328,000 acre-feet of water stored behind 13 dams in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. However, they’d be wise to wait until further regulatory processes are finished before installing irrigation structures to take advantage of the newly available
Oregon Irrigators Gain Access to Willamette Dam Water Read More »
By Matuesz Perkowski | Dec. 24, 2020 | The Other Oregon Agriculture in Oregon’s Harney Basin faces a situation akin to being chased by an aggressive dog, according to farmer Mark Owens. Irrigators realize it’s going to hurt, he says, but they won’t know how much until it actually “bites them in the ass.” “Change
MEDIA ADVISORY: December 9, 2020 CONTACT: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0048, jim@waterwatch.org River Advocates Await Ruling on Botched Winchester Dam Repair 2018 Incident on North Umpqua River Killed Fish, Polluted Drinking Water for 37,700 People DEQ’s January 2020 Notice of Civil Penalty to Basco Logging: https://bit.ly/3lTYVb8 Agency Documents and Photos Regarding 2018 Pollution Spill:
River Advocates Await Ruling on Botched Winchester Dam Repair Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 2, 2020 CONTACT: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0048, jim@waterwatch.org Fishermen, Conservationists Score Another Win Against Outlaw Dam High-hazard Winchester Dam to Comply with Public Safety Regulations for First Time in Decades River Advocates’ October 2020 Letter Regarding Winchester Dam Safety: https://bit.ly/2VvTwfo Winchester Dam’s October 2019 State Safety Inspection Letter: https://bit.ly/3g4tedU
Fishermen, Conservationists Score Another Win Against Outlaw Dam Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 10, 2020 CONTACT: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0048, jim@waterwatch.org Fishermen, Conservationists Go to Court Over Outlaw Dam Dilapidated, high-hazard Winchester Dam is harming fish, water quality, and livelihoods Court filing available here. Winchester Dam fact sheet available here. Roseburg ¬– Steamboaters, WaterWatch of Oregon, and the
Fishermen, Conservationists Go to Court Over Outlaw Dam Read More »
Gillian Flaccus | Nov. 11, 2020 | Associated Press A coalition of environmental and fishing groups are suing a water district in southern Oregon over an aging, privately owned dam that they say hinders the passage of struggling salmon populations in the pristine North Umpqua River. The lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in
Fishing and Environmental Groups File Suit in Eugene Over Umpqua River Dam Read More »
By Mateusz Perkowski | Oct 8, 2020 | Capital Press Critics of large dairies are asking Oregon water regulators to limit new groundwater pumping by such operations within 257 square miles of Umatilla and Morrow counties. A coalition of environmental groups and others called Stand Up to Factory Farms has submitted a petition asking the
Oregon Water Regulators Asked to Limit “Stockwatering Exemption” Read More »
For Immediate Release, November 5, 2020 Contact: Tod Heisler, Central Oregon Land Watch, (510) 480-2388, tod@colw.org Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity, (503) 484-7495, ngreenwald@biologicaldiversity.org Kimberley Priestley, WaterWatch of Oregon, kjp@waterwatch.org Deschutes River Conservation Plan Fails to Restore River, Fish, Frogs Federal Plan Preserves Unsustainable Flows, Water Waste for Decades BEND, Ore.— A final habitat
Deschutes River Conservation Plan Fails to Restore River, Fish, Frogs Read More »
A recording of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Summer Webinar #4 on August 19th, 2020. Join us to learn from a true master of fly fishing. Dave Hughes will present ten practical tips on how to pursue, think like and catch more trout. Dave’s presentation will include great stories highlighting incidents where applying one of these ten
Recording of Summer Webinar Series #4: Dave Hughes, master fly fisherman Read More »
A recording of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Summer Webinar #3 on August 12th, 2020. Description: Not long ago, dam removal was perceived as an unrealistic and radical alternative in the river restoration and conservation movement. But within roughly the past two decades, hundreds of removals have happened, with many taking place here in the Pacific Northwest.
Recording of Summer Webinar Series #3: Dr. Peter Brewitt, author of “Same River Twice” Read More »
A recording of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Summer Webinar #2 on August 5th, 2020. Description: In this webinar, photographer Peter Marbach shares images, stories, and excerpts from essays from his recent book, “Healing The Big River – Salmon Dreams and the Columbia River Treaty.” In the book, readers are guided on a journey back in time
Recording of Summer Webinar Series #2: Peter Marbach, author of “Healing the Big River” Read More »
A recording of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Summer Webinar #1 on July 29th, 2020. Description: Join bestselling novelist and former Oregon fly-fishing guide John Larison for an interactive lecture on the creative power of water. John will guide you through a brief history of water’s effect on human creativity, from the salty origins of art on
Recording of Summer Webinar Series #1: John Larison, author of “Whiskey When We’re Dry” Read More »
By Brian Posewitz | June 13, 2020 | Register Guard The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns 13 reservoirs on major tributaries to the Willamette River, including well-known reservoirs such as Fern Ridge on the Long Tom, Lookout Point on the Middle Fork of the Willamette, Cougar on the South Fork of the McKenzie and
June 9, 2020 WaterWatch of Oregon stands with and among those calling for racial justice and accountability in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless other people of color at the hands of law enforcement and/or white supremacists. The brutal and horrific killing of George Floyd by a
Conservationist urges irrigation districts to focus on water markets by Michael Kohn | April 10, 2020 | Bend Bulletin For decades, Rob Rastovich relied on flood irrigation to water the hay fields on his family-owned ranch outside Bend. The system was archaic and wasted large amounts of water, which ran off the edge of his 200-acre
Environmental groups say the Army Corps of Engineers’ reallocation plan will hurt threatened fish species by Emily Green | March 20, 2020 | Street Roots The Army Corps of Engineers has proposed a drastic cut to the volume of water stored among its 13 dams and reservoirs in the Willamette River Basin that goes to
Lawsuit targets shrinkage of Willamette Basin water for salmon Read More »
