WaterWatch
WaterWatch is an organization that was started in 1985 with a mission to protect, maintain, and restore water sources in Oregon to sustain native fish, wildlife, and the people themselves. According to WaterWatch, Portland's rivers "provide refuge from the daily grind, unparalleled fishing and birdwatching opportunities, diverse boating activities, and a chance to stay connected to the natural world. Oregon's rivers also harbor magnificent fish such as coho and chinook salmon, several kinds of trout, and steelhead." This is one of the many reasons that WaterWatch's goal is to keep these rivers safe; this means to leave plenty of water within the rivers so that wildlife are able to survive. Water is also the source for recreation, maintaining healthy riparian areas, and flushing sediment and pollution our of our city. To ensure that their goals are met, WaterWatch works with legislature, the state and federal agencies, the courts, and the media to restore the Klamath Basin, free the Rogue River, protect the Deschutes River, defend water sources from implications of growth and climate change, and to work to reform the state Capitol. The WaterWatch website claims that they are the "only group that monitors water allocation proposals, agency decisions and actual water use across Oregon." It is important to them for citizens of Oregon to have a voice in how their water is treated and protected.
Contact
(503) 295-4039