WaterWatch of Oregon
Phone: (503) 295-4039 | Fax: 503-295-2791
http://www.waterwatch.org | info@waterwatch.org
WaterWatch is a river conservation organization devoted to restoring and protecting flows in Oregon's rivers. We work in the courts, state and federal agencies, and the legislature to ensure that enough water is left in our rivers to sustain the fish, wildlife, and people who depend on them. WaterWatch successfully prevented municipal water developers from eliminating or weakening the new fish protection standard that requires these water developers to “maintain the persistence” of imperiled fish species when they attempt to develop certain municipal water rights. WaterWatch worked with diverse coalitions of water users to boost state funding for improved water management and to push for groundwater reform and water measurement legislation. Our work in the budgeting process helped fund five new field staff and a permanent water measurement specialist for the Water Resources Department as well as groundwater studies, a long-range planning study and a study of statewide water conservation opportunities. WaterWatch elevated the profile of water and river conservation in the Legislature and in the Governor’s office. Our work in Salem helped secure an important groundwater protection component in Measure 49 and helped convince the Governor to make water policy a priority for the remainder of his term through his emerging Headwaters to the Ocean (H2O) Initiative. Freeing the Rogue River: In 2007, WaterWatch and the Grants Pass Irrigation District worked with the Bush Administration, the Oregon delegation, Governor Kulongoski and Congress to preserve a $15,000,000 budget request to fund the removal of Savage Rapids Dam, an outdated irrigation diversion dam that does not store water, control floods or generate hydropower, but does kill salmon and steelhead by the thousands. After many years, construction of the pumps that will replace the dam is underway and the dam is on schedule for removal in 2009. Benefits of dam removal include an estimated 114,000 additional salmon and steelhead in the Rogue, unimpeded access to 500 miles of upstream fish habitat, $5,000,000 annually injected into the local economy, elimination of a barrier to boating and transfer of 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water rights associated with the dam to instream water rights to protect flows in the Rogue River in perpetuity. The removal of Savage Rapids Dam is arguably the most important dam removal project in the nation.
WaterWatch’s Free the Rogue Campaign also assisted on the project to remove the City of Gold Hill Diversion Dam, scheduled for removal in the summer 2008, worked with Jackson County to explore the feasibility of removing the defunct Gold Ray Hydroelectric Dam and helped secure the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commitment to notch the uncompleted Elk Creek Dam on an important Rogue tributary in 2008.
Restoring the Sandy River: In 2007, Portland General Electric removed the Marmot Dam from the Sandy River. In the removal process, WaterWatch negotiated for the transfer of 600 cfs of water rights associated with the dam to an instream water right to protect streamflows in the Sandy for fish, recreation and future generations.
Protecting Rivers and Aquifers in the Deschutes Basin from the Effects of Rapid Growth: WaterWatch challenged inadequate mitigation proposals in the basin and secured more mitigation water from destination resorts and growing cities in order to protect streamflows in the Deschutes River and its tributaries.
The Everglades of the West – the Klamath Basin: WaterWatch secured a final decision from Oregon stopping a proposal by the Klamath Drainage District to appropriate 149,000 acre feet of public water from the Klamath River. The District sought a windfall by proposing to sell some of that same water, at taxpayer expense, to the government to supplement streamflows in the Klamath River. Peak Flow Guidance – Recognizing the Importance of Ecological Streamflows for Oregon’s Waterways: WaterWatch’s advocacy on the importance of peak flows helped push Oregon to develop “Peak Flow Guidance” to shape the allocation of wet season water in Oregon. The Peak Flow Guidance recognizes the importance of a variety of higher flow events on fish migration and the health of aquatic and riparian habitat. The Peak Flow Guidance is a critical first step towards protecting ecological flows beyond minimum streamflows in our waterways. In the Trenches - Protecting Streamflows Across Oregon: WaterWatch protected streamflows and advocated for balanced water policies across Oregon. WaterWatch protected streamflows for threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout in a small but critical desert stream in southeastern Oregon, challenged decisions to reduce streamflows needed for fish on the Chetco, Clackamas and Willamette Rivers, monitored and challenged proposed groundwater withdrawals in the Klamath Basin, pushed Oregon to regulate the water withdrawals associated with coal bed methane mining, and assisted with efforts to stop gravel mining operations on the Applegate River that could have interfered with streamflows and threatened fish species.
Recent Accomplishments
Progress for Rivers and Water Policy in Oregon’s Capitol: WaterWatch led the successful battle to defeat a Columbia River water grab misleadingly dubbed the “Oasis Project.” This special interest legislation attempted to direct Oregon to allocate 500,000 acre-feet of Columbia River water during the dry season. If passed, the bill would have gutted Oregon’s Sensitive Stock rules and mitigation policies that protect streamflows in the Columbia for threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead.
