Columbia River

Virtual Columbia River Treaty Presentation This Monday at 12 Noon

As WaterWatch recently detailed, along with fellow environmental organizations in a Columbia River Treaty Conservation Caucus press release, and as reported by the Associated Press and PBS, the U.S. and Canada have reached an agreement in principle on some items that were the subject of negotiations in the ongoing update to the Columbia River Treaty. Unfortunately, that update remains focused on utility revenue and flood control at the

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U.S. and Canada Agree to Update 60 Year Old Columbia River Treaty

By Nicholas K. Geranios  |  July 24, 2024  |  Cascade PBS Politicians are celebrating the tentative agreement, while activists and tribal leaders say it doesn’t do enough to protect endangered salmon runs. The United States and Canada have reached a new deal to manage the mighty Columbia River, an economic and environmental powerhouse that starts

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U.S. Would Keep More Hydropower Under Agreement with Canada on Treaty Governing Columbia River

By Gene Johnson  |  July 11, 2024  |  Associated Press The U.S. and Canada said Thursday they have agreed to update a six-decade-old treaty that governs the use of one of North America’s largest rivers, the Columbia, with provisions that officials said would provide for effective flood control, irrigation, and hydropower generation and sharing between

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Disappointing Columbia River Treaty “Agreement in Principle” Prioritizes Hydropower, Flood Control Over Needs of Imperiled Salmon and River Health

July 11, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, please contact: Bill Arthur, Sierra Club, billwarthur@gmail.com Joseph Bogaard, Save Our wild Salmon Coalition, joseph@wildsalmon.org Rev. A.C. Churchill, Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power and Light, ac@earthministry.org John DeVoe, WaterWatch of Oregon, john@waterwatch.org Columbia River Treaty “Agreement in Principle” Prioritizes Hydropower and Flood Control Over the

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Google’s Water Use Soaring in the Dalles, Records Show, with Two More Data Centers to Come

By Mike Rogoway  |  Dec. 18, 2022  |  The Oregonian Google’s water use in The Dalles has nearly tripled in the past five years, and the company’s data centers now consume more than a quarter of all the water used in the city. That’s according to records released this week after the city settled a

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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

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The Columbia River Basin Holds Immense Natural Capital Value

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

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Draining Oregon: State Pours Million Into Fifteenmile Creek but Fails to Help Steelhead for Lack of Water

By Kelly House  |  Aug. 26, 2016  |  The Oregonian: Draining Oregon Government agencies have spent more than $2.8 million in taxpayer money on this tiny Columbia River tributary since 2004. Workers have planted shade willows on the banks, lined its rocky bottom with logpile hiding places, and fenced off cattle from the sensitive habitat.

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Draining Oregon: Harney County Becomes the Latest Casualty of Lax State Oversight of Water and Irrigation

By Kelly House  |  Aug. 26, 2016  |  The Oregonian: Draining Oregon Rancher Harold Knieriem thought his days of worrying about water would end with retirement. No more angst when the skies dry up or a mild winter dollops too little snow on the mountains, leaving his cattle to dine on withered grass. Then the

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Oregon, feds to map cold water fish refuges in Columbia, Willamette rivers

Oregon, feds to map cold water fish refuges in Columbia, Willamette rivers By Kelly House The Oregonian/OregonLive November 3, 2015 Yakama fishermen Rex Zack and Doug Lamere prepare hoop nets on a fishing platform suspended over the Columbia River. Salmon have been central to the economy and culture of Pacific Northwest tribes for centuries. Photo

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Columbia River Treaty: State Department to Include Ecosystem Function in Negotiating Position

Center for Environmental Law & Policy | WaterWatch of Oregon | Pacific Rivers Council Save Our wild Salmon | Sierra Club | Columbia Institute for Water Policy For Immediate Release Thursday, June 4, 2015 Contacts – * Pat Ford (Save Our wild Salmon) 208-345-9067 pford@wildidaho.org (Boise) * Greg Haller (Pacific Rivers Council) 503-228-3555 greg@pacificrivers.org (Portland)

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Conservationists, Fishing Interests Respond to U.S. Treaty Recommendation for Columbia River

Center for Environmental Law & Policy * WaterWatch of Oregon * Pacific Rivers Council   Save Our Wild Salmon * Sierra Club * Columbia Institute for Water Policy For Immediate Release Conservationists, Fishing Interests Respond to U.S. Treaty Recommendation for Columbia River December 13, 2013 Contacts: Pat Ford (SOS) 208.345-9067 pford@wildidaho.org (Boise) Rachael Paschal Osborn (Columbia

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Rep. Hastings’ Treaty Hearing: Conservationists and Fishing Community Support Inclusion of Ecosystem Function in Modernized Columbia River Treaty

For Immediate Release Center for Environmental Law & Policy – WaterWatch of Oregon – Pacific Rivers Council – Save Our Wild Salmon – Sierra Club December 9, 2013 Contacts: Greg Haller (Pacific Rivers) 503.228.3555 greg@pacificrivers.org (Portland) Suzanne Skinner (CELP) 206.829-8366 sskinner@celp.org (Seattle) Pat Ford (SOS) 208.345-9067 pford@wildidaho.org (Boise) John DeVoe (WaterWatch) 503.295-4039 x1 john@waterwatch.org (Portland)

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Columbia River-Umatilla Solutions Taskforce announcement

Statement by Kimberley Priestley, WaterWatch of Oregon’s Senior Policy Analyst, on the February 15, 2013 Columbia River-Umatilla Solutions Taskforce (CRUST) announcement: “Today’s agreement offers a menu of balanced potential solutions that will provide additional water to Umatilla farmers without harming flows needed for struggling salmon and steelhead runs or – importantly – without undermining river

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Coastal Cutthroat Trout to Be Considered for Endangered Species Protection

April 21, 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information please contact: Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity, (503) 484-7495 Steve Mashuda, Earthjustice, (206) 343-7340, ext. 27 Dr. Chris Frissell, Pacific Rivers Council, (406) 883-1503 Coastal Cutthroat Trout to Be Considered for Endangered Species Protection Court Overturns Decision to Deny Trout Protection in Lower Columbia River and

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The Trouble With Salmon

The Trouble With Salmon New York Times editorial about the decision of the federal government to shut down commercial salmon fishing along the California coast to north-central Oregon. New York Times April 15, 2008   The federal government’s decision to shut down commercial salmon fishing from the California coast to north-central Oregon is a blow

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The Fight for Water

The Fight for Water Oregon Business Magazine looks at current water issues and water politics in the Oregon Legislature By Robin Doussard Oregon Business Magazine August 01, 2007 AUGUST 2007: COVER STORY Can Oregon meet the demands of its farms, fish and people? The battle lines over a controversial effort during this year’s Legislature to

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