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 says the dam currently impedes fish passage for coho, chinook, and steelhead, trout and lamprey.
One local expert says that fish passage is important along the dam due to predation concerns from Osprey and Mergansers, among others. Though the dam had a fish ladder installed in 1945, not all fish make it through, according to Jeff Dose, a retired fish biologist and a board member for the Steamboaters, an organization that works to protect the North Umpqua River.
“Some fish do get through, however, undoubtedly, there are some that don’t, and nearly all are probably delayed to some degree,” he said.
Fixing the problem, though, could come with a hefty price tag, according to Dose.
“Construct a modern state of the art upstream and downstream facility in the right place, which would be extremely expensive — millions and millions of dollars,” Dose said.
Estimates for improved fish passage could cost the district upwards of $70 million, according to Waterwatch of Oregon.
We reached out to the Winchester Water Control District for comment. The district’s president, Ryan Beckley, said via email “The district strongly disagrees with the decision and will be appealing.”
The Winchester Water Control District has had previous legal battles with ODFW in 2023. For information on that case, visit here.
This piece originally appeared on KMTR-TV on Jan. 3, 2026.