By Jane Vaughan | Sept. 27, 2023 | Jefferson Public Radio Dam repair work on the North Umpqua River in August and early September led to hundreds of thousands of lamprey dying. There are now questions about accountability for the repair work that was done at the Winchester Dam near Roseburg. Representatives from the Oregon […]
After Fish Kill, a Search for Accountability at Winchester Dam Read More »
By Alex Baumhardt | Sept. 18, 2023 | Oregon Capital Chronicle The 133-year-old Winchester Dam, which essentially provides a private lake for 100 “influential” people near Roseburg, has a history of environmental violations. For two days in early August, a dozen staff from the natural resources department of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe
Conservation Groups Call for End to Aging Umpqua River Dam After Emergency Fish Salvage Read More »
We need your help asking Governor Kotek and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to hold Winchester Water Control District (WWCD) accountable for the harm and killing of state sensitive species on the North Umpqua River in Douglas County. Click here to submit your letter. On Aug. 7th, WWCD began repairs on the
Aug. 15, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information please contact: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, jim@waterwatch.org Kirk Blaine, Native Fish Society, kirk@nativefishsociety.org PLEASE NOTE: River advocates are preparing to document another fish kill if it materializes and will be available to reporters for comment and to provide photos and video. River Advocates Warn of Another
River Advocates Warn of Another Possible Fish Kill Triggered by Winchester Dam Repairs Read More »
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
Critics Argue Repairs on Oregon Dam Don’t Go Far Enough to Protect Salmon Read More »
By Roman Battaglia | Aug. 1, 2023 | Jefferson Public Radio A small, abandoned dam in Southern Oregon was removed last week using funds from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The dam removal will greatly improve access to habitat for many different fish species. The Lovelace Dam on Slate Creek is the fifth to be
Southern Oregon Dam Removed Using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Read More »
By WaterWatch Staff | April 5, 2022 | Instream WaterWatch works across Oregon in administrative, collaborative, legislative and legal forums to advocate for reforms needed to secure sustainable groundwater management. WaterWatch has identified five critical and urgent reforms needed to put Oregon on a course to manage groundwater sustainably: 1 — Stop issuing permits without
Urgent Groundwater Reforms Needed for a Sustainable Water Future Read More »
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
“The State Must Do More” — Lawmakers Weigh How to Protect Dry Lake Abert Read More »
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2021 Contacts: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 941-9450 Brian Barr, Rogue River Watershed Council, (541) 621-7226 Harboldt Dam before and after removal images here: https://tinyurl.com/eaz9kswe Credit photos to Crystal Nichols, Rogue River Watershed Council Three Priority Dam Removals Completed in Rogue’s Applegate Subbasin Collaborative project benefits salmon and steelhead while meeting private
Three Priority Dam Removals Completed in Rogue’s Applegate Subbasin Read More »
By Jim McCarthy | Sept. 10, 2019 | The Osprey As climate change stresses salmon, the benefits of Rogue dam removals stand out. The Rogue River, in Oregon, is one of the most productive salmon and steelhead rivers in the Pacific Northwest, with five runs of salmon and steelhead, plus lamprey and cutthroat trout. Yet,
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.
By Jim McCarthy and Bob Hunter | Jan. 10, 2016 | The Osprey The Rogue River basin leads a paradigm shift on dams. Three decades ago, the idea of removing dams to benefit fish and rivers conflicted with widely held values and beliefs. For many, dams were – and for some, still remain – symbols
By Jim McCarthy and Tonya Graham | Sept. 6, 2015 | Medford Mail-Tribune In recent years, the growing number of successful removals of obsolete dams on North America’s salmon-bearing streams has become a celebrated symbol of progress, and represents a fundamental change in our relationship with rivers. The communities of the Rogue River Basin have
Removal of Obsolete Dams Benefits Rivers, the Public, and Landowners Read More »
by Jes Burns | Aug. 5, 2015 | Oregon Public Broadcasting EarthFix Evans Creek is barely a trickle. A dry summer in Southern Oregon means the important salmon and steelhead creek, a tributary of the Rogue River, disappears below the gravel bed in places. Seemingly stagnant isolated pools are all that remain in some areas.
Two of Oregon’s Worst Dams for Fish Are Coming Down Read More »
By Courtney Sherwood | Edited by Eric Johnson | July 27, 2015 | Business Insider This article originally appeared on Reuters news wires. Unseasonably hot water has killed nearly half of the sockeye salmon migrating up the Columbia River through Oregon and Washington state, a wildlife official said on Monday. Only 272,000 out of the
Half of the Columbia River’s Sockeye Salmon Are Dying Due to Hot Water Read More »
By Mark Freeman | July 6, 2015 | Medford Mail-Tribune Construction crews next week plan to move into the Evans Creek drainage in preparation for removing the two worst remaining fish-killers in the Rogue River Basin, but they will show up already working under Plan B. A pending permit appeal blocking the demolition of Fielder
Flip-Flopped Dam-Removal Plans on Evans Creek Could Start Next Week Read More »
By Mark Freeman | March 4, 2013 | Medford Mail-Tribune Wimer and Fielder dams are cited as two of the state’s top 10 impediments to fish passage. The 100-year-old Wimer Dam that spans Evans Creek near this community is a classic example of a structure doing far more harm than good to the wild salmon
Evans Creek Dams Are on State’s List of Worst Impediments for Fish Passage Read More »
Oct. 14, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information please contact: Bob Hunter, WaterWatch of Oregon, (541) 778-3380 Lesley Adams, Rogue Riverkeeper, (541) 488-5789 Brian Barr, National Center for Conservation Science and Policy (NCCSP), (541) 621-7226 Rogue River Runs Free at Former Gold Ray Dam Site Project marks river’s fourth significant dam removal in three years
Rogue River Runs Free at Former Gold Ray Dam Site Read More »
