By Kelly House | Jan. 5, 2015 | Associated Press
The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled too much of the lower Clackamas River’s water is being diverted for human use at the expense of native fish and wildlife.
The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled 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.
According to the ruling handed down last week, 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 customers in Oregon City, West Linn, and northern Clackamas County.
Attorney Lisa Brown of the conservation group WaterWatch of Oregon, which brought the lawsuit, says there is plenty of water to draw on in the area without threatening salmon.
This story originally appeared on Associated Press wire services and affiliated outlets on Jan. 5, 2015, and is shared here via a non-paywall posting at The Oregonian. Clackamas River photo courtesy of Greg Shine / U.S. Bureau of Land Management.