By Richard C. Harrington | Aug. 22, 2023 | The River Rambler
WaterWatch Southern Oregon program director Jim McCarthy made an appearance on The River Rambler podcast with Kirk Blaine of the Native Fish Society to give an update on the ongoing emergency on the North Umpqua River and at Winchester Dam as the dam’s owners continue to pursue wholly botched repairs now resulting in the death of thousands of fish at the height of summer. Find the episode here.
According to host Richard C. Harrington, “I first fished the North Umpqua a dozen years ago, and was way late to the game. It’s been a river iconic in the steelhead community for at least a century, from before Zane Grey, to Frank and Jeannie Moore, to the present moment.”
“The present situation is unbelievable. After reading about it in emails and social media, I lined up a visit with Jim McCarthy of Water Watch of Oregon and Kirk Blaine of The Steamboaters and Native Fish Society. If you were upset by the social media posts, listen to the conversation and get really mad. Then act. Sign the Native Fish Society petition, and write your state representatives, the governor, and ODFW. And call. Let them know that in the face of innumerable challenges to the survival of wild steelhead, a public and valuable resource that brings incalculable financial benefit to Douglas County, we are watching a small, select group bypass all meaningful regulation and oversight for their own benefit.”
Oregon senators, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Governor Kotek’s contact information are all available via the embedded hyperlinks.
