By Jim McCarthy | Oct. 30, 2023 | The Osprey At least 550,000 juvenile Pacific lamprey were killed this summer due to the botched repair of Winchester Dam on Oregon’s North Umpqua River. On October 6th, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) filed a $27.6 million claim for recovery of damages in the Douglas County Circuit Court against …
Southern Oregon Dam Operators Now Face Water Pollution Fines on Top of Millions for Fish Kills
By Alex Baumhardt | Oct. 27, 2023 | Oregon Capital Chronicle The operators of Winchester Dam in Oregon face more than $134,000 in fines for water violations on top of $27.6 million for killing lamprey. The operators of a southern Oregon dam and the company that repaired it face additional fines for violating state permits and polluting the North Umpqua …
Oregon Fines Winchester Dam Owners $134,000 for Water Quality Violations
By Zach Urness | Oct. 26, 2023 | Salem Statesman Journal The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued fines totaling over $134,000 against the operators of Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River outside Roseburg on Thursday for water quality violations. DEQ fined Winchester Water Control District and TerraFirma Foundation Repair Inc. for discharging concrete into the river, putting down …
DEQ Fines Winchester Dam Owners for Water Violations from Dam Repair
By Taylar Ansures | Oct. 26, 2023 | KOBI News The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued two enforcement orders for the Winchester Water Control District and contractor TerraFirma for violations that happened during Winchester Dam repairs over the summer. According to DEQ, Winchester Water Control District is being fined $106,778 for violating at least 10 water quality certifications for …
$27.6 Million Lawsuit Filed for Lamprey Loss During Winchester Dam Repairs
By Gloria Coleman | Oct. 7, 2023 | Roseburg News-Review The Winchester Water Control District and associated contractors are facing a more than $27.5 million claim, which was filed Friday in Douglas County Circuit Court, for their role in the loss of juvenile Pacific lamprey during recent repairs of the Winchester Dam. “The number of lamprey killed as a result …
Oregon Demands $28 Million for Massive Fish Kill and Water Violations at Winchester Dam
By Alanna Mayham | Oct. 6, 2023 | Courthouse News The multimillion-dollar claim by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday arrives after weeks of advocacy over dam repairs that killed at least 550,000 Pacific lamprey. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a $27.6 million claim for recovery damages against the Winchester Water Control District and …
State Seeks $27.6 Million from Winchester Dam Owners After Summer Repair Work
By Erik Neumann | Oct. 6, 2023 | Jefferson Public Radio Oregon is suing for more than $27 million in damages from the owners of a private dam near Roseburg after repairs led to a massive fish kill. More than half a million Pacific lamprey died during repairs at the Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River. The lawsuit, filed …
ODFW Official Acknowledges “Hundreds of Thousands” of Fish Deaths in Winchester Dam Disaster
Sept. 29, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information please contact: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, jim@waterwatch.org Tommy Hough, WaterWatch of Oregon, tommy@waterwatch.org Wildlife Official Acknowledges “Hundreds of Thousands” of Fish Deaths in 2023 Winchester Dam Disaster Senate committee probing whether state officials hold dam’s operations and maintenance to appropriate statutory, regulatory standards. Salem, Oregon — This Wednesday, during testimony before state legislators …
Critics Argue Repairs on Oregon Dam Don’t Go Far Enough to Protect Salmon
By Alanna Mayham | Aug. 8, 2023 | Courthouse News Service A nonprofit says fish won’t be able to access their preferred habitats because of the repairs. Some claim the dam needs to go. The Winchester Dam on Oregon’s North Umpqua River closed for three weeks on Monday for repairs and reservoir drawdown in an act that would have appeased …
“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 in the last eight years. …
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 the first time since the …