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 Willamette, including segments of the Clackamas River, Tualatin River, Johnson Creek, Gales Creek, Eagle Creek, tributaries to the Molalla River, and others concluded in September. A subsequent public comment period for the Mid-Willamette, which included segments of the North, Middle, and South forks of the Santiam River, Calapooia River, Luckiamute River, Long Tom River, West Fork Marys River, and others wrapped up at the end of October.
You came through with considerable support for the North Willamette and Mid-Willamette applications, and we need your support now as the comment period closes for new instream water right applications in the South Willamette basin this Thursday, Jan. 16th, by 5 p.m. This batch of applications includes higher-elevation tributaries and streams that make up the Willamette River’s headwaters. Approval for these applications ultimately falls to the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), so it’s important for those of us who love Oregon’s rivers to weigh in with our support NOW.
Instream Water Rights do not harm existing water rights, but do protect flows from new withdrawals going forward. Establishing protection for instream flows for fish is critical to maintaining healthy rivers in the face of climate change. There’s more at this ODFW StoryMap Overview document, and an ODFW Frequently Asked Questions page on instream water rights.
We’ve created an easy-to-use, pre-formatted email to comment on the entire slate of South Willamette applications. Feel free to modify or add your own remarks to this note for a more personal statement that may mention specific rivers of interest to you and your family — comments written from your own point of view are especially impactful. And again, the deadline for comments arrives Thursday, Jan. 16th, at 5 p.m. you can also click the button below.
You can also comment in support of individual South Willamette basin instream applications via this PDF listing all current instream water right applications. Once you find the streams you want to comment on, click the hyperlink at that particular entry to open a page that has a “submit a public comment” option at the bottom left. Click on that live link to submit your comments.
Be sure to ask that the particular instream right you may be commenting on is approved in the full amount requested by ODFW, as OWRD is proposing to issue the water rights in amounts lower than what ODFW has requested for many of the applications. The ODFW applications reflect the flows needed for fish and should be protected in full. And again, feel free to make comments personal to you as well, like the value of healthy rivers to you and your family for fishing, boating, hiking, wildlife viewing, cultural values, or other activities.
Thank you for all of your support in this effort!
Staff photo by Tommy Hough.