WaterWatch of Oregon

06/04/2026

June may just be getting underway, but plan now to join us the last day of the month on Tuesday, June 30th, at Oakshire Brewing's Portland Beer Hall at 5013 NE 42nd Ave. for a daylong Oakshire Inspires event benefitting WaterWatch of Oregon. As part of Oakshire's support for local nonprofits, the brewery will donate $1 from each "core pint" sold throughout the day to WaterWatch along with 10 percent of the day's food sales. WaterWatch staff will be onsite after work from 4 to 7 p.m.

We'll see you Tuesday, June 30th, at Oakshire Brewing's Portland Beer Hall for a daylong Oakshire Inspires event benefitting WaterWatch of Oregon.

06/02/2026

WaterWatch and a coalition of community and conservation organizations sent a letter to Governor Kotek last month warning her of proposed open-pit mining along Grave Creek, a tributary of the nearby Wild and Scenic Rogue River, that would excavate pits 80 feet into the ground within 50 feet of Grave Creek. The letter was intended to make clear the threats the mining would pose to domestic water wells and wild salmon and steelhead populations, including endangered coho salmon.

For most residents of Josephine County, the latest headlines about a proposed gravel mine near Grave Creek may seem like a brand-new controversy. In reality,

05/29/2026

In this edition of Currents we've included our opposition to OWRD's approval of a water right transfer that could enable open pit mining along Grave Creek, a tributary of the Rogue River, plus the latest on Wi******er Dam, Jim McCarthy's trip down the Klamath River with Oregon State University's engineering program, our state's vanishing high country snowpack, WaterWatch's ClackFest recap video, an upcoming Oakshire Inspires event, and much more in this Currents!

Drought impacts expected this summer, pressure needed to force no vote on HR 655, Oakshire Inspires benefit for WaterWatch June 30th.

05/16/2026

A coalition of Oregon conservation and community groups fighting to protect Grave Creek in Josephine County from a mining operation sent a letter to Gov. Kotek this week warning a proposed open-pit gravel mine along Grave Creek — just 50 yards from the waterline — threatens wild salmon and steelhead. A tributary of the Rogue River, Grave Creek's confluence with the Rogue marks the north end of the Rogue River's Wild and Scenic stretch.

A coalition of conservation and community groups fighting to protect Grave Creek from a mining operation in Sunny Valley sent a letter to Governor Kotek warning the proposed open-pit gravel mine along a tributary of the Rogue River threatens salmon and steelhead.

05/15/2026

We're thrilled to spend the weekend with you at this year's ClackFest, going on now along the Clackamas River east of Estacada, but there are some serious stories to share, including the need for Gov. Kotek to protect rivers and fish as our ongoing drought worsens, a disturbing revelation about the governor's "prosperity panel" that could impact long-held environmental regulations, a letter from opponents of the Grave Creek open-pit mine to the governor, and much more. Get caught up in this edition of Currents.

WaterWatch at ClackFest this weekend, Willamette thermal trading briefs filed, disturbing recommendations for cuts to environmental safeguards.

05/14/2026

Governor Kotek declared a drought emergency in Coos, Klamath, and Wheeler counties this week, marking the third drought declaration of the year with 12 of Oregon's 36 counties now under emergency status. This follows Oregon's record-low snowpack this winter, which we covered in this spring's Instream newsletter, and which national outlets like the New York Times are now reporting on in noting Oregon's rivers and fish will likely face exacerbated drought conditions this summer.

After a warm winter that brought more rain than snow, the state’s snowpack was the lowest it has ever been.

05/13/2026

WaterWatch of Oregon will be along the banks of the Clackamas River near Estacada this weekend at the 40th annual ClackFest, short for the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival, one the nation's longest-running competitive whitewater events. We're looking forward to catching up with kayakers, rafters, paddle boarders, and packrafters from around the country, and we hope to see you as we connect with whitewater fans about our work to preserve streamflows in Oregon!

WaterWatch will be along the banks of the Clackamas River all weekend as part of the 40th annual Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival.

05/01/2026

Happy May 1st! With hot weather forecast for this weekend we have a packed Currents, including new county drought declarations, photos from Tuesday's Rumble On the River data center panel with WaterWatch's John DeVoe, Senator Ron Wyden's questioning of Big Tech CEOs on data center water (ab)use, the Endangered Species Act faces even more destructive threats in Congress, and WaterWatch will be at this year's Clack Fest near Estacada the weekend of May 15th.

WaterWatch's John DeVoe addressed data center impacts on water at Rumble On the River, legislative threats to the ESA increase, and Clack Fest begins May 15th.

04/29/2026

Thanks to everyone who attended the Rumble On the River data center panel on Tuesday at the First Unitarian Church in Portland. WaterWatch senior advisor and former executive director John DeVoe spoke about how water earmarked for data centers has already been over-allocated in areas with nothing left to give. Among the other speakers, Klickitat chief Wilbur Slockish shared moving words on greed and what once was, while Kaleb Lay with Oregon Rural Action delivered a sobering account of the fight ahead.

04/28/2026

Former WaterWatch executive director and senior advisor John DeVoe with participate in the Rumble On the River "What's the Deal with Data Centers?" panel discussion on data center impacts this evening at the First Unitarian Church in Downtown Portland at 1211 SW Main St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the panel gets underway at 6:30 p.m. moderated by KBOO Radio's Barbara Bernstein.