Oregon Court of Appeals sides with salmon in lawsuit over Clackamas River water use
The Associated Press
January 5, 2015
The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled that the state Water Resources Department failed to limit the amount of water cities and water districts can draw from the lower Clackamas River so that there would be enough water left in the river for threatened and endangered salmon.
The ruling handed down last week says the withdrawals permitted by the department were not supported by evidence or reason. The court sent the permits back to the department to be revised.
The permits are held by the city of Lake Oswego and water districts serving people in Oregon City, West Linn, and northern Clackamas County.
Attorney Lisa Brown of the conservation group WaterWatch, which brought the lawsuit, says there is plenty of water to draw on in the area without threatening salmon.