Water
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Umatilla, Morrow counties begin to chart a path to clean drinking water for Lower Umatilla Basin residents
Commissioners from Umatilla and Morrow counties held a joint meeting in Hermiston Wednesday to discuss plans to find alternatives to contaminated private wells. The two governments agreed to use part of a $1.7 million grant from the EPA to hire a contractor to draw up the plans.
As Oregon enforces its water use requirements, small farmers face the consequences
As Oregon more actively enforces state rules around water usage, some farmers have learned that they’ve been operating illegally for years.
Solutions to Oregon’s drought could be found in the Deschutes Basin
Amid long-term drought, a river system in Central Oregon rebounded from dire straits.
As Oregon drought eases, uncertainty remains for some farmers
Oregon is the most drought-free it’s been since 2019, according to a recent report by the U.S. Drought Monitor. For some farmers, though, it will take more than one good season to recover.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom backs dam-removal projects aimed at sustaining salmon populations
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pledging to fast-track more than half a dozen projects to remove or bypass dams that have blocked salmon.
Port of Morrow continues to apply excess nitrates on farmland, misses payment deadline
The port is set to pay the Oregon Health Authority $2 million over the next two years through the state Department of Environmental Quality’s Supplemental Environmental Projects. It completed the first payment of $1 million on Friday, almost a month after the payment’s due date.
Portland pays Oregon $19.5M to clean the Columbia Slough
The city of Portland finalized a 15-year settlement with the state to clean up the Columbia Slough, the 31-mile stretch of waterways between Fairview Lake and the Willamette River.
Oregon agriculture companies offer help with Lower Umatilla Basin nitrate pollution, but skeptics remain
Environmental group accuses them of "greenwashing" their own role in nitrate pollution
Oregon renews search for a water leader after ‘disappointing’ first round
Whoever Kotek appoints to the job will be in the middle of intense water conflicts worsened by drought, climate change and development.
Boardman community organizer’s truck catches ‘suspicious’ blaze, local fire rescue says
Oregon Rural Action, a group based out of La Grande that has been active in pushing state officials to address decades of groundwater pollution in Morrow and Umatilla counties, announced the fire in a press release Monday. The group called on local and state authorities to fully investigate the fire and protect its employees.