Lengthy Walker Creek Effort Comes to Successful Conclusion
WaterWatch and our allies have stopped a damaging dam proposal on Walker Creek, a State Scenic Waterway and a federal Wild and Scenic River. The City of McMinnville had a 1958 permit to build a 74-foot tall dam that would have spanned over 550 feet across Walker Creek. WaterWatch filed a protest against continuation of the permit in 2012, and by the end of 2023 the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) proposed to deny the permit extension. As a result, the city withdrew its permit extension request and cancelled the permit.

John DeVoe Joins Earth Day Panel on Portland's KBOO Radio
WaterWatch of Oregon's senior fundraiser, advisor, and former executive director John DeVoe participated in a live, in-studio Earth Day panel broadcast with fellow environmental advocates at Portland's KBOO Radio on April 22nd. John spoke about the history of both Earth Day and WaterWatch, our organization's role in the ongoing Klamath Dam removals, the current move to reform groundwater allocation rules, and took questions from callers. We've compiled highlights from the broadcast in this clip on our YouTube page.

Speak Up for Sustainable Groundwater Use This Month!
The OWRD will host two final public meetings in May on the agency's proposed groundwater allocation rule revisions, offering two additional opportunities to speak up for sustainable groundwater use, speak up for groundwater dependent ecosystems, and speak up for Oregon's sustainable water future! This month's meetings will be held in Central Point on Thursday, May 16th, and in Salem (with a virtual option) on Tuesday, May 21st. Visit WaterWatch.org for more, and submit your written comments on the revised rule proposals by May 31st.

Instream: At Long Last, Revised Groundwater Rules for Oregon
One of several featured articles from the spring edition of Instream that we've posted to WaterWatch.org, this story details the scientifically rigorous process the OWRD utilized over the last several years to craft the proposed groundwater allocation rules now being considered by the state. Utilizing greater science and data requirements to implement Oregon's forward-looking 1955 Ground Water Act, the rules will — if enacted — put Oregon on a more sustainable path to smart, sensible, environmentally-sound groundwater allocation.

WaterWatch Earth Day Greeting and Staff Video 
As Oregonians, we know how fortunate we are to live here, and we carry with us an inherent understanding of our responsibility to preserve our waters and environment. As part of WaterWatch's Earth Day greeting last month we shared a special message from executive director Neil Brandt on what Earth Day means to our WaterWatch team and our mission, and our administrative assistant and in-house graphic designer Monet Hampson compiled a special Earth Day video of WaterWatch staff and board members enjoying the outdoors.