As Oregonians we know how beautiful our state is, and the diversity of habitats and wildlife we love are part of what makes Oregon such a special place to live. With Oregon’s short legislative session for 2026 getting underway today, the 1.25% for Wildlife bill is back before policymakers with bipartisan support as HB 4134. […]
Submit Testimony Now in Support of the 1.25% for Wildlife Bill at HB 4134 Read More »
By Dan Kelly and NBC 16 Staff | Jan. 3, 2026 | KMTR-TV The 134-year-old Winchester Dam could be seeing some large changes regarding fish passage along the North Umpqua River after a judge ordered the Winchester Water Control District to build new fish passage facilities by 2028. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Winchester Water Control District Ordered to Update Fish Passage Facilities Read More »
By Gloria Coleman | Dec. 26, 2025 | Roseburg News-Review The Winchester Water Control District (WWCD) was told to start work next week on improving the fish passage in the Winchester Dam to be consistent with current standards, but an appeal might change all that. An Office of Administrative Hearings ruling issued by Senior Administrative
Judge Allows ODFW to Order WWCD to Fix Winchester Dam Fish Ladder by 2028 Read More »
Dec. 22, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information, please contact:Jim McCarthy, jim@waterwatch.org Big Win for North Umpqua River Salmon and SteelheadWinchester Dam owners must build new fish passage facilities by 2028. Roseburg, Oregon — The North Umpqua River’s native migratory fish could soon find it easier to move upstream and downstream past Winchester Dam, thanks
Big Win for North Umpqua River Salmon and Steelhead Read More »
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has filed applications to establish 44 new instream water rights in Oregon’s North Coast and Mid-Coast regions, and with the public comment period closing this Thursday, Dec. 18th, at 5 p.m. we need your help NOW to ensure legal protections are secured for these beloved coastal rivers and streams — from the Nehalem
Act Now to Support New Instream Water Rights in Oregon’s Coastal River Basins Read More »
By Chrissy Ewald | Oct. 12, 2025 | Grants Pass Daily Courier One year after a concrete irrigation dam that spanned the Illinois River was demolished and removed, it’s hard to tell the dam was ever there. It was too early in the season on Thursday to see fall chinook salmon, but small juvenile fish
Please speak up NOW to help us stop three bad rules bills targeting state rulemakings, agency discretion, and executive functions. The three bills — HB 3569, HB 2692, and HB 2454 — follow the ongoing federal trend of blurring the lines between the three branches of government, and gives the regulated industry a leg up
Please Weigh in NOW Against Three Bad Rules Bills Read More »
By Jim McCarthy This past fall, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists found fall chinook salmon spawning in a stretch of the Illinois River previously submerged under the Pomeroy Dam reservoir pool. This development came just a few months after WaterWatch removed the 10-foot high, 270-foot wide concrete structure from this Rogue Basin tributary,
Instream: Chinook Spawn in Former Pomeroy Dam Reservoir Site Read More »
By Jim McCarthy In February, WaterWatch and our allies Steamboaters and Pacific Coast Federations of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) secured formal permission to participate in a state fish passage enforcement proceeding which may ultimately determine the fate of the 135-year old Winchester Dam, a privately owned former hydropower structure near Roseburg commonly known as the biggest
Instream: Winchester Dam Removal Closer Than Ever as Legal Battles Continue Read More »
Feb. 10, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, please contact:Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, jim@waterwatch.org Groups’ Petition for Party Status: https://shorturl.at/xf5eZExhibit A of Petition: https://shorturl.at/ITXd7Exhibit B of Petition: https://shorturl.at/lBVyOExhibit C of Petition: https://shorturl.at/dYf6i Fishermen, Conservationists Seek Intervention in Winchester Dam CaseSalmon, steelhead, and livelihoods at stake in case over dam’s outdated passage facilities. Winchester,
Fishermen, Conservationists Seek Intervention in Winchester Dam Case Read More »
The Caddis Fly | Jan. 12, 2025 | Oregon Fly Fishing Blog Last spring the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced it applied for over 260 new instream water rights in the Willamette River system to protect instream flows for native fish and wildlife in the North Willamette, Mid-Willamette, and South Willamette basins.
The Caddis Fly: Support New Instream Water Rights in the South Willamette Basin Read More »
Jan. 7, 2025 As mentioned in Currents and elsewhere on the WaterWatch of Oregon website, the final package of new Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) instream water right applications to legally protect natural flows in the basins of the Willamette River includes 98 streams and tributaries now being considered in the South Willamette,
Support New Instream Water Rights in the South Willamette Basin by Jan. 16th Read More »
By Gloria Coleman | Dec. 23, 2024 | Roseburg News-Review On Sept. 17, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) issued a Notice of Noncompliance to the Winchester Water Control District (WWCD) regarding the Winchester Dam. The notice highlighted unauthorized repair activities, including concrete capping and foam injections, which deviated from the 2022 temporary
As we reflect on the past year at WaterWatch, we have much to be proud of and much to be thankful for. We are especially grateful for supporters like you who continue to make it possible to protect and restore Oregon’s rivers, streams, lakes, and aquifers for the fish, wildlife, and people that depend upon
WaterWatch of Oregon 2024 End of the Year Accomplishments Read More »
By Chrissy Ewald | Nov. 27, 2024 | Grants Pass Daily Courier Demolition is complete of a concrete dam that used to arc 270 feet across the Illinois River near Cave Junction and blocked access to 100 miles of spawning grounds for salmon, steelhead, and other migratory fish. The removal of the Pomeroy Dam marks
On the Illinois River, Pomeroy Dam is Now Just a Memory Read More »
By Kade Stirling | Nov. 26, 2024 | KOBI-TV News With the successful removal of Pomeroy Dam, the Rogue Basin’s highest-priority barrier to native fish has come down. WaterWatch of Oregon, the statewide water conservation group, worked with state and national partners like the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the U.S. Forest
Pomeroy Dam Removal Complete, Construction Continues Into 2025 Read More »
Nov. 26, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information, please contact:Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, jim@waterwatch.orgScott Wright, River Design Group/SWCA Environmental Consultants, scott.wright@swca.com Pomeroy Dam, West Side Road culverts before and after images here:https://tinyurl.com/3ebb76cmPlease credit photos to Crystal Nichols/Dustin Saigo Rogue River Basin’s Highest Priority Barrier to Native Fish Comes DownOngoing multi-barrier collaborative effort benefits salmon
Rogue River Basin’s Highest Priority Barrier to Native Fish Comes Down Read More »
Last spring the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced it had applied for over 260 new instream water rights in the Willamette River system to protect instream flows for native fish and wildlife, including applications in the North Willamette, Mid-Willamette, and South Willamette basins. Public comment for streams and tributaries in the North
Your Support for New Willamette Instream Water Right Applications is Invaluable Read More »
Oct. 24, 2024 By Jim McCarthy We’re thrilled and honored to announce the WaterWatch-led Takelma Creek Barrier Removal Project, completed in 2023, has won the 2024 Western District American Fisheries Society Award of Excellence in Riparian Management. This multi-faceted project is primarily located on Siskiyou Field Institute property in the Illinois River subbasin of the
Instream: WaterWatch-Led Fish Barrier Removal Project Wins Award Read More »
Oct. 24, 2024 By Jim McCarthy While it seemed unfathomable to some a few short years ago, the largest dam removal in U.S. history wrapped up this summer as structural demolition ended on the lower four Klamath River dams. Beginning with the removal of Copco No. 2 last year, this historic success marks a victory
Instream: Klamath River Hydro Complex Demolition Concludes, But Work Remains Read More »
Sept. 26, 2024 We need your help TODAY to support new legal protections for instream flows for fish in Oregon’s beloved Willamette River system! Comments are due today at 5 p.m., so please TAKE ACTION NOW. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has applied for 269 new instream water rights, including 102 in the
Deadline to Support for Flow Protections for North Willamette is Today at 5 p.m. Read More »
Aug. 18, 2024 By Neil Brandt with WaterWatch Staff Oregon recently welcomed new directors at three of the state’s natural resource agencies with missions related to water, including Ivan Gall at the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), Debbie Colbert at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and Sara O’Brien at the Oregon Watershed
Opportunities to Secure Oregon’s Sustainable Water Future Read More »
By Gloria Coleman | Aug. 3, 2024 | Roseburg News-Review WaterWatch of Oregon, Native Fish Society, The Steamboaters, Umpqua Watersheds, The North Umpqua Foundation, James V. McCarthy and Kirk Blaine submitted a motion to intervene and support the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in the civil lawsuit against the Winchester Water Control District
By Susan Hiland | July 3, 2024 | Grants Pass Daily Courier A work crew last week moved logs into place along the edge of Evans Creek, creating new habitat for small critters to hide and eat in. Just days before, the spot was the site of the old Williams-Whalen Dam, which stood for 128
Williams-Whalen Dam Removal Restores Evans Creek Flow Read More »
By Shaun Hall | July 1, 2024 | Rogue Valley Times Another small dam has been removed in Southern Oregon to improve fish habitat. The 150-foot-wide, five-foot-high Williams-Whalen Dam on Evans Creek was demolished last week about 12.7 miles upriver from its confluence with the Rogue River. “This is great news for salmon and steelhead
Third Dam Removed, Fish Passage Improved on Evans Creek Read More »
June 26, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information please contact:Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 941-9450, jim@waterwatch.orgBrian Barr, Rogue River Watershed Council, (541) 621-7226, bbarr@rogueriverwc.org Williams-Whalen Dam before and after removal images are available here: https://tinyurl.com/54dfjadxCredit photos to Rogue River Watershed Council/Crystal Nichols Third Dam Removal Completed in Nine Years in Rogue’s Evans Creek SubbasinCollaborative
Third Dam Removal Completed in Nine Years in Rogue River’s Evans Creek Subbasin Read More »
March 20, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ahead of World Water Day, Oregon Water Partnership Recognizes Progress in 2024 Legislative Session Coalition applauds Legislature’s attention to important water issues during 32-day “short session.” Salem, Oregon — The Oregon Water Partnership (OWP) applauds the Oregon Legislature’s attention to important water issues during the 32-day “short session,” including
Oregon Water Partnership Recognizes Progress in 2024 Legislative Session Read More »
Feb. 16, 2024 The outcome of a hearing in Marion County Circuit Court in Salem could have a big impact on the fate of Winchester Dam, and by extension the North Umpqua River’s struggling salmon and steelhead populations, as a motion filed by the Oregon Water Resources Department (WRD) to dismiss an earlier water storage
Court Hearing in Winchester Dam Water Storage Case Read More »
Feb. 16, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information, please contact: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, jim@waterwatch.orgWHO: Winchester Water Control District v. Oregon Water Resources Department, Dwight French (Case No. 23CV33445) WHAT: Hearing on Oregon Water Resources Department Motion to Dismiss WHEN: Friday, February 16, 2024 WHERE: Marion County Circuit Court, Salem, Oregon Documents relevant to
Court Hearing in Winchester Dam Water Storage Case Read More »
By Nate Humphrey | Jan. 13, 2024 | Bend Bulletin For those of us who have visited the North Umpqua River, it’s not a place you can forget. With cold, crystal-clear water, incredible wildlife, an abundance of native wildflowers and so much more, the North Umpqua’s beauty is unmatched. The North Umpqua and its salmon
Winchester Dam Serves No Purpose for the Fish of the North Umpqua Read More »
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
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
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
Oregon Fines Winchester Dam Owners $134,000 for Water Quality Violations Read More »
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
$27.6 Million Lawsuit Filed for Lamprey Loss During Winchester Dam Repairs Read More »
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
Oregon Demands $28 Million for Massive Fish Kill and Water Violations at Winchester Dam Read More »
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
State Seeks $27.6 Million from Winchester Dam Owners After Summer Repair Work Read More »
By Claire Rush | Oct. 6, 2023 | Associated Press Oregon officials are seeking more than $27 million in damages over dam repairs they say killed more than half a million Pacific lamprey fish in what they’ve described as one of the largest damages claims for illegal killing of wildlife in state history. In a
Oct. 6, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Jim McCarthy, jim@waterwatch.org Tommy Hough, tommy@waterwatch.org Department of Fish and Wildlife Cites “Significant and Preventable” Fish Kill in $27 Million Complaint Against Winchester Dam Huge financial penalty among the largest issued by an Oregon state agency. Salem, Oregon — Citing the “significant and preventable” death of at least
By Shaun Hall | Oct. 6, 2023 | Rogue Valley Times Fish have a bit more room to roam now that a 13-foot-high dam has been removed from a tributary of the Illinois River near Selma in Josephine County. The dam was removed in recent days from a property that decades ago operated as a
Fish-Blocking Dam Removed from Takelma Ceek at Ranch Frequented by John Wayne Read More »
By Izzie Lund | Oct. 4, 2023 | KDRV News Crews have finished demolishing a 13-foot-high, 70-foot-wide dam in an effort to restore salmon and steelhead habitat in Takelma Creek, according to a news release from WaterWatch of Oregon. “(The project) opened access to approximately 3.5 miles of formerly blocked spawning and rearing habitat for
Crews Demolish Dam in Takelma Creek, Restore Access for Salmon Read More »
