Holiday Wishes from Our Executive Director
As Neil Brandt wraps up his first year as executive director of WaterWatch of Oregon, he writes in his holiday greeting — included as part of our End of the Year Accomplishments report — that WaterWatch's successes in 2023 are due in no small part to the generosity and support of WaterWatch members and supporters, with advancements on instream water rights, removing obsolete barriers to fish passage, and preventing new dams from being built as part of the result. Read Neil's holiday greeting here.

WaterWatch at Lake Abert Cooperative Gathering
A critical locale for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway, the internationally significant Lake Abert in southeast Oregon has dried up twice over the last 10 years as fresh water flows from the Chewaucan River have decreased. WaterWatch attorney Steph Hayes was in Paisley in Lake County last week with partners as part of the Partnership for Lake Abert and the Chewaucan cooperative to help design and implement strategies to address the saline lake's ecological needs.

Improved Public Review Needed on Water Transfers
The Capital Press reported a legal mechanism needed to implement a transfer of water storage rights as part of a dam heightening project at Painted Hills Reservoir in Wheeler County could have "far-reaching implications" for Oregon water law, though WaterWatch attorney Brian Posewitz said the current level of regulatory scrutiny for water storage right transfers is "insufficient," and added water rights issues aren't going to be addressed in other regulatory processes. Read the full Capital Press article with Brian's quote here.

Clackamas Trout Unlimited Welcomes WaterWatch
Executive director Neil Brandt paid a visit to the Clackamas Chapter of Trout Unlimited on Nov. 14th, following an earlier invitation to join them at their monthly meeting at the Hopworks Brewery "Mothership" on Powell Blvd. Neil shared updates on WaterWatch's recent Clackamas River case and opportunities for moving forward, along with updates on groundwater allocation, instream water rights, and facilitated a discussion on rivers and our state's iconic outdoor locales with chapter members.

Expanded End of the Year Accomplishments
We've had a great response to our WaterWatch End of the Year Accomplishments report for 2023 that not only features a new, more contemporary layout, but a newly-designed "buckslip" appeal included with our standard remit envelope. Plus, our expanded End of the Year Accomplishments report is online, with greater detail on our 2023 successes, including the demolitions of Lovelace and Takelma dams, our Crooked River and Drift Creek legal wins, groundwater allocation rule updates, and much more.