Conservation Today

Permit violations during the August 2023 repairs of the Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River near Roseburg, resulted in the biggest fish kill on an Oregon River this year. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fined the dam’s owners and their contractors $27.6 million dollars for the needless death of hundreds of thousands on native fish.

The Winchester Dam was condemned in 1976. The Oregon Water Resource District gave the dam their highest danger rating, “high hazard,” meaning: “the department expects loss of human life to occur if the dam fails.”

Mike Ruehle and Adam Miller of Community Rights Douglas County chronicle the history of the Winchester Dam. They describe the ongoing pattern of violations of both permit and law that culminated in the massive fish kill and unprecedented monetary penalty, how it could have easily been prevented, and what can be done to remove the Winchester Dam so this never happens again.

The Winchester Water Control District, owners of the derelict and condemned Winchester Dam, have perpetrated a litany of documented violations including:

• Illegal water storage in excess of their water rights.

• Pollution of the North Umpqua River.

• Privatization of publics lands and waterways.

• Killing of millions of threatened and sensitive aquatic species.

• Repeated failure to comply with state and federal laws and regulations. 

• The use of toxic and carcinogenic building materials that leach copper, arsenic, and chromium 50 feet upstream of the intake to the public drinking water source for 37,700 residents – one third of the residents of Douglas County, Oregon.

A panel of speakers discusses the plight of native wild horses in "Horse Management Areas" on public lands in western states.

Speakers on Part 1 and Part 2 of the Wild Horse Podcast include:

Lorna Torrey Palermo is a long time horse lover, animal advocate and Advocate for Wild Equines.

Linda Wallace first became interested in the wild horses as a child when she heard about Wild Horse Annie. She has been writing letters and making phone calls ever since! Linda adopted an amazing black Eastern Oregon Mustang named Moonshine in the 80s. She now visits HMAs all over the West to photograph these beautiful, majestic creatures.

Nick Goertzen is a western states horse advocate

Tenaya Jewell is a scientist in the medical field and a long-time activist for animals and the environment. She has always loved horses and her passion is advocating for respectful and compassionate ways of being with animals.

Renee Bosarge Ivy is a long-time animal lover and dedicated horse advocate.

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Links for more information:

A.W.E Advocates for wild equines

A panel of speakers discusses the plight of native wild horses in "Horse Management Areas" on public lands in western states.

Our speakers on Part 1 and Part 2 of the Wild Horse Podcast include:

Lorna Torrey Palermo is a long time horse lover, animal advocate and Advocate For Wild Equines..

Linda Wallace first became interested in the wild horses as a child when she heard about Wild Horse Annie. She has been writing letters and making phone calls ever since! Linda adopted an amazing black Eastern Oregon Mustang named Moonshine in the 80s. She now visits HMAs all over the West to photograph these beautiful, majestic creatures.

Nick Goertzen is a western states horse advocate

Tenaya Jewell is a scientist in the medical field and a long-time activist for animals and the environment. She has always loved horses and her passion is advocating for respectful and compassionate ways of being with animals.

Renee Bosarge Ivy is a long-time animal lover and dedicated horse advocate.

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Links for more information:

A.W.E Advocates for wild equines

This is the website, there is a place to donate:

This is a conversation with Carol Van Strum, who has fought against the aerial spraying of pesticides, including Agent Orange, since 1975.

This is a conservation with Patrick Starnes, long time environmental activist, and now a candidate for governor of Oregon. We talk about some recent environmental victories, then a conversation on health plan options for Oregonians. We also chat about campaign finance reform, the housing crisis, renewable energy possibilities, and a bit about forestry in Oregon.

This is a fascinating conversation with Bonnie Olin. Bonnie is an avid river user, including kayaking on the Snake River. Bonnie talks about the four lower Snake River Dams, why they should be removed, and the impacts removal would have on fish and wildlife, as well as the economy. She covers the mitigations available for impacts such as barging grain and electrical generation.

For more information, the following links were mentioned in the podcast:

This is a conversation with Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, the Douglas County Public Health Officer. We discuss the current state of the Covid pandemic in Douglas County, and what you can do keep yourself healthy. The current situation is dire, with many dying needlessly at Mercy Medical Center.

This is a conversation with Jim McCarthy, the Southern Oregon Program Director for WaterWatch of Oregon. Waterwatch is part of a coalition of conservation groups suing over the fish-killing Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River, North of Roseburg. Jim describes the history of the dam, ownership, management, and why the dam kills fish, including coho, steelhead, and pacific lamprey.

This is a conversation with Audrey Squires, Umpqua Restoration Program Coordinator for the mitigation funds from the North Umpqua Hydro Project. The Hydro Project’s 2001 settlement agreement required PacificCorp to pay annual funding for restoration projects to mitigate their wildlife impacts. Audrey describes the types of wildlife impacts, types of restoration projects, and volunteer opportunities.

For more information:

Today we talk with Kimberly Holmquist about Douglas County Community Rights and some issues before the Douglas County Commissioners, including the proposed 2,800 acre destination resort planned for near Yoncalla. Kimberly also describes the history of the “Doctrine of Discovery”, and how it favors corporate rights over community rights. 

The ending song is "Why Am I An Anarchist?" by Norman Nawrocki.

For more information about the Douglas County issues discussed in this podcast, see:

This conversation with Kyle Reed is about how to keep safer during fire season. Kyle is the Fire Prevention Specialists at the Douglas Forest Protective Association. Kyle talks about the Firewise program for neighborhood groups, ways to better protect your home from a wildland fire, and how to keep track of the changing guidelines for your work as the fire season progresses. Below are links to more information that Kyle referred to: