WaterWatch Welcomes Author Steve Duda on Aug. 22nd
Join WaterWatch for a special evening at the Powell's Beaverton location at Cedar Hills Crossing on Thursday, Aug. 22nd, at 7 p.m. as we welcome angler, author, and musician Steve Duda of Patagonia as he discusses fishing, writing, and reads selections from his new book River Songs: Moments of Wild Wonder in Fly Fishing. WaterWatch development officer and fellow angler Jesse Robbins will host this fun, free event and moderate the discussion with Steve. Join us Aug. 22nd at the Beaverton Powell's at 3435 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.

Columbia River Treaty Update Leaves Little for Salmon
WaterWatch of Oregon executive director Neil Brandt was quoted in a story filed by Cascade PBS on the disappointing "agreement in principle" earlier this month between the U.S. and Canada on the renewal of the Columbia River Treaty, which remains focused on utility revenue at the expense of salmon and the overall health of the river. "Salmon have suffered tremendous losses through the industrialization of the Columbia Basin's rivers," said Neil in the story's conclusion. "A modernized Treaty must do better for salmon."

Comment Period Closes as State Weighs CAFOs Enforcement
As Oregon considers how to implement new regulations for Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), WaterWatch staff attorney Brian Posewitz spoke with Public News Service about water use in CAFOs, including how to best monitor water volumes used by large farms and the placement of CAFOs to reduce nitrate contamination in groundwater from manure. "All Oregonians should care about our water supplies, both in streams and rivers as well as in groundwater," said Brian. "Those water supplies are precious to everybody."

WaterWatch's Jim McCarthy Returns to The River Rambler 
Southern Oregon program director Jim McCarthy and Kirk Blaine of the Native Fish Society first appeared on The River Rambler podcast last summer to discuss what was, at the time, the rapidly unraveling situation along the North Umpqua River as at least 550,000 Pacific lamprey died during a botched repair on the aged Winchester Dam. A record amount in fines totaling some $29 million was eventually levied by the state against the Winchester Dam's owners, and Jim and Kirk returned to the River Rambler in May to give listeners an update.

Plan Now to Bid on Growing List of Annual Auction Packages
As we add auction packages to WaterWatch's 22nd Annual Celebration of Oregon Rivers on Saturday, Oct. 5th, we're happy to announce the return of a popular package featuring a three-night mini-vacation at a secluded, one-bedroom waterfront cabin on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands. With spectacular views of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, along with visiting deer and bald eagles, the cabin is perfect for couples or small families. Get the latest on our growing catalogue of live and silent auction packages now.

Klamath Dam Removals — A Visitor's Guide
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the demolition of four dams on the Klamath River is running ahead of schedule and may wrap up as soon as August, with the Copco 1 Dam now almost gone. WaterWatch began advocating for the removal of the four lower Klamath River dams over 20 years ago, and as Jim McCarthy wrote in the summer issue of Instream, intrepid motorists willing to endure some rough travel can now seek out views of the river that, in some cases, have been unavailable since the first dam was built in 1918.