40th Anniversary Celebration Tickets On Sale Now
Help celebrate four decades of river successes at WaterWatch of Oregon's 40th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Auction on Saturday, Nov. 1st, at Castaway Portland at 1900 NW 18th St. All WaterWatch members, supporters, friends, family, water advocates and river fanatics are invited. We'll have plenty of hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and dinner, and another amazing line-up of auction packages benefitting WaterWatch. Silent auction bidding begins at 5 p.m. when doors open, so arrive early and purchase your tickets now.

Summer Issue of Instream Arriving in Mailboxes
Marking the second of our three issues celebrating WaterWatch's 40th anniversary this year, the summer edition of our Instream newsletter is arriving in mailboxes now. Featuring a conversation with former WaterWatch senior staff attorney and water policy advocate Karen Russell, a look at six lesser-known but remarkable Oregon locales WaterWatch has preserved, our ongoing Free the Rogue dam and barrier removal campaign, and a recap of the long 2025 legislative session that recently concluded in Salem, it's a packed issue!

Attendees Beat the Heat for WaterWatch at Oakshire Portland
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Portland Oakshire Brewing location on Tuesday for a daylong Oakshire Inspires benefit in support of WaterWatch at Oakshire's Portland Beer Hall. WaterWatch staff and board members spoke with neighbors and attendees about WaterWatch's mission and programs, and the thirsty crowd propelled a generous return for WaterWatch with $1 from every core pint and 10 percent of the day's food sales going to our organization. Thank you for spending some of your Tuesday afternoon with us!

WaterWatch Communications Manager Rallies Activists
As the White House takes aim at the Pacific Northwest on a host of environmental law and policy rollbacks, WaterWatch communications manager Tommy Hough appeared on a communications strategies panel at the Oregon Wild-organized Rabble Rouser activist training session and workshop at the Crystal Ballroom in Downtown Portland on Wednesday. Tommy shared strategies for successfully initiating press campaigns, how to talk to reporters and the media, the importance of staying on message, developing story arcs, and more.

Pick Fresh Blueberries and Support WaterWatch of Oregon
Join us on Saturday, Aug. 2nd, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for a special blueberry picking day at Muir Blueberry Farm in Hillsboro, as the farm donates all of its blueberry-picking sales that day to WaterWatch of Oregon. Located at 30350 NW Scotch Church Rd., WaterWatch staff and board will be on-site most of the day as we welcome guests and WaterWatch supporters from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Summertime can get very hot in Hillsboro and the Tualatin Valley, so we encourage you to arrive early and dress for comfort. See you there!

First-Ever Rogue Spey Clave Celebrates Fly Fishing
Look for WaterWatch of Oregon at the inaugural Rogue Spey Clave fly fishing event at Griffin Park south of Grants Pass on Saturday, Aug. 23rd. Organized by southern Oregon guides and casting instructors Jon Hazlett and Dax Messett, this daylong event welcomes anglers of all abilities for a celebration of Rogue River fly fishing along with Spey casting presentations, tackle demos, casting instruction, fly tying demonstrations, and dozens of exhibitors and brands. Visit the Rogue Spey Clave event page for more.

Kayakers Reach Klamath River Mouth After 310-Mile Journey
The several dozen Indigenous youth who launched a kayaking expedition down the now dam-free lower Klamath River in June completed their monthlong, 310-mile "first descent" of the river last Friday. According to the Ashland News, the journey realized "a dream of Klamath basin tribes years in the making." At the conclusion of a two-day symposium on Sunday, some 200 Indigenous young people from around the world signed a declaration at the mouth of the Klamath River calling for a halt to new dam construction.

Oregon Author Calls for Greater Respect of Floodplains
Following the deadly floods on the Guadalupe River in Texas earlier this month, Oregon-based author and photographer Tim Palmer, best known to WaterWatch supporters for his books Field Guide to Oregon Rivers and Rivers of Oregon, landed an opinion piece in the July 12th issue of the New York Times detailing lessons drawn from his 2024 book Seek Higher Ground on the need to not only respect historic floodplains, but to redouble implementation of zoning policies that limit construction in floodplains to prevent future tragedies.

Free the North Giveaway Wraps Up This Monday
One of WaterWatch's long-time coalition allies in the effort to bring the rule of law to the 135-year old Winchester Dam near Roseburg and restore a free-flowing North Umpqua River are The Steamboaters. Monday is the deadline to enter their Free The North Giveaway with a chance to win fly fishing and tying gear, with funds going toward their collaborative efforts with WaterWatch to remove the biggest fish killer on the North Umpqua River and the highest-ranked privately-owned structure on ODFW's 2019 Statewide Fish Passage Priority List.