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 […]
U.S. and Canada Agree to Update 60 Year Old Columbia River Treaty Read More »
By Michael Kohn | July 12, 2024 | Bend Bulletin On the last day of 2020, eight irrigation districts in Central Oregon and the city of Prineville entered into a landmark agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their accord, the Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), spelled out in hundreds of pages of
Challenges and Gains for Water Conservation Plan Read More »
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 11, 2024 Media Contacts: 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 Needs of Imperiled
July 7, 2024 By Jim McCarthy The removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River near the Oregon-California state line is nearly complete. The smallest of the four dams, Copco 2, was removed last summer. The other three, far larger dams were breached this January in preparation for the major structural removal now taking
Instream: A Visitor’s Guide to Klamath Dam Removals Read More »
July 6, 2024 By John DeVoe with Tommy Hough Wenaha River Tim Palmer’s Field Guide to Oregon Rivers calls the Wenaha “one of the Northwest’s wildest streams … with no roads, dams, development or diversions.” He should know. A few years ago, Tim and a couple of friends hiked up the Wenaha from the lower
Instream: Summertime River Hikes Read More »
May 17, 2024 All this week WaterWatch of Oregon has been spotlighting wildlife in the lead-up to today’s observance of Endangered Species Day, highlighting the importance and value of the landmark 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the plight of threatened aquatic species in Oregon. Since the ESA was signed into law on Dec. 28,
WaterWatch Endangered Species Day Gallery Read More »
By Ian James | May 3, 2024 | Los Angeles Times Workers have begun dismantling the largest dam on the Klamath River, using machinery to scoop the first loads of rocks from an earthen barrier that has stood near the border of California and Oregon for more than six decades. Several Indigenous leaders and activists
Activists See New Beginning with Dismantling of Largest Klamath River Dam Read More »
April 18, 2024 By Lisa Brown After an exhaustive and scientifically rigorous process, the Oregon Water Resources Department published proposed groundwater allocation rules reliant upon science and data to implement Oregon’s forward-looking 1955 Ground Water Act — and put Oregon on a more sustainable path to smart, sensible, environmentally-sound groundwater allocation. On March 1st, the
Instream: At Long Last, Revised Groundwater Rules for Oregon Read More »
By Kurtis Alexander | Feb. 22, 2024 | San Francisco Chronicle The nation’s largest dam-removal project, the dismantling of four hydroelectric dams near the border of California and Oregon border, may be the end of one story — but it’s the beginning of another. The native Shasta people, who were exiled from the banks of the
As Massive Klamath Dam Removal Project Nears Completion, Who Gets Once-Submerged Land? 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. 14, 2024 Thanks to everyone who attended this wonderful event with Amy Gulick on March 5th! Photos are posted at our WaterWatch of Oregon Flickr account. At WaterWatch we’re working to restore historic salmon runs in Oregon by protecting instream water rights, removing obsolete dams, and reforming groundwater pumping rules to preserve the connectivity
WaterWatch Presents Author and Photographer Amy Gulick Read More »
By Rachel McCrea | Nov. 9, 2023 | Washington Post Whether you own a gas, hybrid, or electric car, driving may have some unexpected environmental impacts: It could be killing salmon. Most tires contain 6PPD, a chemical several studies have linked to the deaths of certain kinds of fish. In a lawsuit filed in U.S.
A Tire Chemical is Threatening Salmon — Here’s What You Need to Know 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 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 »
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 »
April 4, 2023 By Jim McCarthy In November 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted final approval for the decommissioning of the lower four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River near the Oregon-California state line. The decision marked the end of two decades of advocacy, politics, and bureaucratic processes surrounding this hydro complex. It is
Instream: Federal Regulator Says Four Lower Klamath Dams May Come Down Read More »
By WaterWatch Staff | April 5, 2022 | Instream Groundwater provides a myriad of irreplaceable ecological benefits and is the sole source of drinking water for nearly one in four Oregonians. WaterWatch has a long history of working to ensure that Oregon’s management of groundwater preserves the vital role of this resource in maintaining streamflows,
Protecting Groundwater Resources is Critical for Oregon’s Environment and People Read More »
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 »
Columbia River Treaty watchers hope to right 50 years of wrongs By: ROB CHANEY rchaney@missoulian.com April 13, 2018 Fire up half a dozen bulldozers over a summer and Canada could turn the Kootenai River away from Libby Dam and pour its water into the Columbia River.
Columbia River Treaty watchers hope to right 50 years of wrongs Read More »
Conservation groups to file lawsuit over Klamath River water flow By The Associated Press April 4, 2013 GRANTS PASS — Two conservation groups warned federal agencies Thursday they plan to sue to get more water devoted to protected salmon in the Klamath River. Oregon Wild and WaterWatch of Oregon filed a 60-day notice of intent
Conservation groups to file lawsuit over Klamath River water flow Read More »
GUEST VIEWPOINT New treaty must address ecosystem concerns By John DeVoe The Register-Guard January 28, 2018
New treaty must address ecosystem concerns Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2017 CONTACTS Glen Spain | Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations | 541.521.8655 | fish1ifr@aol.com Jim McCarthy |WaterWatch of Oregon | 541.708.0731 | jim@waterwatch.org Stephanie Tsosie | Earthjustice | 505.270.5098 | stsosie@earthjustice.org Judge Denies Irrigators Special Treatment, Millions in Drought Payments Read the Decision Here Washington, D.C. – Judge Marian Blank
Judge Denies Irrigators Special Treatment, Millions in Drought Payments Read More »
Brown signs bill protecting salmon habitat from river mining BY ANDREW THEEN The Oregonian/OregonLive June 14, 2017 Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill Wednesday that protects thousands of miles of critical salmon habitat across much of western Oregon from suction dredge mining.
Brown signs bill protecting salmon habitat from river mining Read More »
Oregon Senate passes permanent dredging-ban bill By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune April 10, 2017 A permanent ban on suction dredging in Western Oregon’s wild salmon habitat championed by the late Democratic Sen. Alan Bates passed out of the Oregon Senate on Monday
Oregon Senate passes permanent dredging-ban bill Read More »
Judge Orders More Water Releases From Klamath River Dams by Cassandra Profita OPB/EarthFix February 8, 2017 In a ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge William Orrick ordered more water releases from dams on the Klamath River to flush out parasites causing deadly disease outbreaks in salmon. In recent drought years, scientists have found extremely high rates
Judge Orders More Water Releases From Klamath River Dams Read More »
Rescue effort aims to save stranded Deschutes River fish Annual die-off occurs at small channel when river flows are reduced By Hilary Corrigan The Bulletin October 14, 2016 Volunteers and contractors spent part of this week shocking, netting and moving stranded fish from a dry river channel near Bend in what’s become an annual fish
Rescue effort aims to save stranded Deschutes River fish Read More »
Judge To Hear Water Case For Upper Deschutes by Amanda Peacher OPB March 20, 2016 A federal judge in Eugene will hear a case Tuesday about water management in the Upper Deschutes River. Environmental groups want to see more regular flows coming out of Wickiup Reservoir on the Upper Deschutes River. They say the way
Judge To Hear Water Case For Upper Deschutes Read More »
In My View: It’s time to save the Upper Deschutes By Doug La Placa Bend Bulletin March 19, 2016 2013 Upper Deschutes River fish kill. Photo by Doug La Placa. When I was in the second grade a friend brought over a beat-up old fly rod. We tied on some fishing line and ran to
In My View: It’s time to save the Upper Deschutes Read More »
Guest Commentary: Just Add Water BY CRAIG LACY Bend Source March 16, 2016 Few people alive remember what the Upper Deschutes River was like before Wickiup Dam was built in 1949. It was then regarded as one of the finest fisheries in the US. In 1914 Clyde McKay received the Field and Stream award for
Guest Commentary: Just Add Water Read More »
For Immediate Release: January 11, 2016 Contact: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731 Janette Brimmer, Earthjustice, 206-343-7340, ext. 1029 Lawsuit Filed to Stop Harm to Deschutes River Mismanagement of flows jeopardizing threatened spotted frog, fish, and local livelihoods 2013 Upper Deschutes River fish kill. Photo by Doug La Placa. BEND, OR – Today, WaterWatch of
Lawsuit Filed to Stop Harm to Deschutes River Read More »
A realistic path forward for the Klamath Basin By Jim McCarthy Bend Bulletin December 27, 2015 Parched Lower Klamath NWR, Sept. 20, 2013 A recent editorial unfortunately repeated the claim that Congressional implementation of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) will largely resolve the Klamath’s longstanding water disputes. In reality, this controversial deal would only
A realistic path forward for the Klamath Basin Read More »
By Kelly House | Nov. 6, 2015 | The Oregonian The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) will scrap its latest strategy to free up water for a Nestlé bottled water plant in Cascade Locks, in favor of an approach that lets regulators consider the public impacts of relinquishing water in the midst of
Gov. Kate Brown Asks for New Approach to Nestlé Water Deal Read More »
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
Oregon, feds to map cold water fish refuges in Columbia, Willamette rivers Read More »
Miners go to court over suction dredge moratorium By Mark Freeman Medford Mail Tribune October 21, 2015 Miners have asked a federal judge to block Oregon’s upcoming moratorium on suction dredge mining in wild salmon rivers such as the Rogue, claiming federal mining laws trump state restrictions on federal lands. A consortium of mining interests
Miners go to court over suction dredge moratorium Read More »
Yurok Tribe pulls out of Klamath River agreement By Adam Spencer The Triplicate September 17, 2015 The Williamson River, tributary to Upper Klamath Lake, running through the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The historic agreement designed to end long-standing water wars between fish advocates and farmers throughout the 16,000-square-mile Klamath River Basin appears to be facing collapse.
Yurok Tribe pulls out of Klamath River agreement Read More »
Guest Opinion: Removal of obsolete dams benefits rivers, the public and landowners By Jim McCarthy and Tonya Graham Medford Mail-Tribune September 6, 2015 Demolition crews knock out first notch in Wimer Dam on Evans Creek, a tributary of the Rogue River. Photo by Scott Wright, River Design Group. In recent years, the growing number of
Guest Opinion: Removal of obsolete dams benefits rivers, the public and landowners Read More »
Feds release extra water to save Klamath salmon from disease By JEFF BARNARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS August 21, 2015 This Oct. 1, 2002 file photo shows dead salmon along the Klamath River near Klamath, Calif., after a disease outbreak that killed an estimated 60,000 salmon. With water scarce in Northern California’s Klamath Basin, a federal
Feds release extra water to save Klamath salmon from disease Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 13, 2015 CONTACT: Jim McCarthy, WaterWatch of Oregon, 541-708-0731 60-Day Notice is available here. WaterWatch of Oregon Issues Warning to Protect Deschutes River Irregular streamflows are harming fish, wildlife and local livelihoods Bend – Today, WaterWatch of Oregon announced its intention to challenge the Central Oregon Irrigation District, North Unit Irrigation District,
WaterWatch of Oregon Issues Warning to Protect Deschutes River Read More »
