2010 Gold Ray Dam Removal
The story of removing the Gold Ray Dam on the Rogue River. https://vimeo.com/135799225
Elk Creek Dam demolition
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers video shows an explosion Tuesday, July 15, 2008, that begins demolition of Elk Creek Dam in Southern Oregon. The Pulitzer Prize winning Mail Tribune is one of the oldest and most trusted newspaper organizations in Oregon. Based in Medford, OR, we cover Southern Oregon’s breaking news, local news, sports,
The Removal of Savage Rapids Dam
The Savage Rapids Dam built by the Grants Pass irrigation District in 1921 was designed to deliver Rogue River water to the fields of local farmers; It did not offer water retention, electrical creation, or flood control. Because the age of the dam was leading to costly replacement issues and its disruption of adult and
Rogue River Dam Removals
WaterWatch of Oregon began a campaign 20 years ago to improve fish passage on the Rogue River in Southwest Oregon. Through WaterWatch’s efforts four dams have been removed: Savage Rapids Dam, Gold Hill Dam, Gold Ray Dam, and Elk Creek Dam. https://youtu.be/VLOUgDoD6ek
2017 Flyover of Rogue River Dam Removals
Three mainstem dams were removed on the Rogue River between 2008-2010 and this is a flyover of each site in 2017. https://vimeo.com/222089256
2015 Wimer Dam Removal
Removal of the Wimer Dam on Evans Creek, Oregon to enhance fish passage and river connectivity. Spearheaded by WaterWatch and Geos Institute in cooperation with the landowner. Engineering by River Design Group and dam removed by Staton Companies. https://vimeo.com/135754205
WaterWatch’s Mission: Protecting and Restoring Oregon’s Rivers
A brief video from WaterWatch’s 2020 Celebration of Oregon Rivers about why WaterWatch’s mission and work is so important, especially in a climate-changed Oregon. https://youtu.be/sA4hAwV2qQA
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Ongoing Harm at Winchester Dam
WaterWatch captured this video of migrating salmon jumping repeatedly at false attraction flows gushing through the poorly maintained face of Winchester Dam. There are many such holes through the dam’s face and under its foundation. The delayed fish in this video risk injury and death when falling back on areas of eroded concrete, exposed rebar,
Meet the WaterWatch Staff!
Several of WaterWatch’s program staff discuss what drives them in their work in this video that premiered at the 2020 WaterWatch Celebration of Oregon Rivers. https://youtu.be/Cx65RGUav_Y
2020 Auction: Special Appeal
The special appeal from WaterWatch’s 2020 Celebration of Oregon Rivers! https://youtu.be/lMzFZHiBjAs
2021 Auction: Free Flowing Rivers Program
Watch a video of WaterWatch’s 2021 Annual Celebration of Oregon Rivers Auction video, “Free Flowing Rivers Program” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN79QbKrj4c
Jim McCarthy featured in The Conservation Alliance’s Rogue River video on dam removals
Watch an interview featuring WaterWatch Southern Oregon Program Director, Jim McCarthy. Jim McCarthy featured in The Conservation Alliance’s Rogue River video on dam removals https://vimeo.com/383363908
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John DeVoe on X-Ray Radio’s Non-Profit Happy Hour
Listen to an interview featuring WaterWatch Executive Director, John DeVoe. X-Ray FM Non-Profit Happy Hour. https://soundcloud.com/the-non-profit-hour/nphh-s7e10-waterwatch-of-oregon
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John DeVoe speaks on the water impacts of proposed Google data center in the Dalles
Watch an interview featuring WaterWatch Executive Director, John DeVoe “Google Threatens Water Supply of Drought-Stricken Town” 11.6.21 Google is racing to win approval for two massive new data centers—which use millions of gallons of water—in a small, drought-stricken farming town in Oregon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRTHDERxANA
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Jim McCarthy speaks on the Klamath Basin OPB
An OPB Audio Story Featuring WaterWatch Southern Oregon Program Director Jim McCarthy. “Klamath Basin drought: Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex” 7.13.21 https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/13/klamath-basin-drought-klamath-basin-national-wildlife-refuge-complex/?fbclid=IwAR1bBFzbxDUOpMJbcgwiEQEkg7g_vilEQfVYu9rTJdRSlst-cuTPjFn7tC4
Lisa Brown speaks on Summer Lake NPR
An NPR Audio Story Featuring WaterWatch Staff Attorney Lisa Brown. “Encore: A vital lake in Oregon, around for eons, could run dry within a generation” 4.11.22 https://www.npr.org/2022/04/11/1092117495/encore-a-vital-lake-in-oregon-around-for-eons-could-run-dry-within-a-generation
Water is the “Lifeblood” of Oregonians. How Will Oregon’s Next Governor Manage a Future of Drought?
By Alex Schwartz | April 26, 2022 | Jefferson Public Radio The Klamath Basin provides a cautionary tale for Oregon about the need to plan more intentionally and sustainably with its shrinking water supply. Despite growing up on a ranch near John Day and living in the Klamath Basin for more than 20 years, Misty
Groundwater Over-Allocation in Oregon — the Deschutes, Umatilla, Klamath and Harney Basins
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
State Groundwater Management, Capacity and Investment: A Transformative Package
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 »
Urgent Groundwater Reforms Needed for a Sustainable Water Future
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 »
Protecting Groundwater Resources is Critical for Oregon’s Environment and People
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 »
Groundwater: Oregon’s Future Depends On It
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
It’s Feared a Vital Lake in Oregon Could Run Dry Within a Generation
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 »
Race to the Bottom: Draining Summer Lake
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
Race to the Bottom: How Big Business Took Over Oregon’s First Protected Aquifer
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 »
Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History Set to Begin
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 »
In Turnaround, Oregon Agencies Say They’re “Ready to Work Together” for Lake Abert Solution
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
“The State Must Do More” — Lawmakers Weigh How to Protect Dry Lake Abert
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 »
Oregon’s Lake Abert is “In Deep Trouble.” The State Shut Down Its Effort to Figure Out Why
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
Big Tech Data Centers Spark Worry Over Scarce Western Water
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
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Three Priority Dam Removals Completed in Rogue’s Applegate Subbasin
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 »
Instream: WaterWatch Challenges Willamette Water Temperature Plan
This article originally appeared in the autumn 2021 issue of WaterWatch of Oregon’s Instream newsletter. WaterWatch is asking the Multnomah County Circuit Court to overturn or re-evaluate a decision by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approving a “Thermal Trading Plan” to offset the water-temperature impact of withdrawing 150 million gallons of water a
Instream: WaterWatch Challenges Willamette Water Temperature Plan Read More »
Environmental Coalition Demands State Reject Proposed Easterday Dairy
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 »
Administrative Hearing Underway Over Botched 2018 Winchester Dam Repair
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 »
Jim McCarthy of WaterWatch Discusses the Klamath Basin on OPB’s Think Out Loud
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 »
Administrative Hearing Over Botched 2018 Winchester Dam Repair Begins July 13 River Advocates Intervening to Protect North Umpqua Water Quality
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
Cheese in the Desert: Why Mega-Dairies Are Piping Water Onto Oregon’s Shrub Steppe
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
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Fishermen, Conservationists Demand Action Against Outlaw Dam
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 »
Northwest Senators Urged to Reject Rep. Simpson’s Disastrous Plan for Endangered Salmon
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 »
River Advocates Applaud Ruling Protecting North Umpqua Water Quality
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
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