A juvenile lamprey a few inches long is shown stranded in the muck  where a reservoir was drawn down behind the Winchester Dam on the Umpqua River north of Roseburg. 

For those of us who have visited the North Umpqua River, it is not a place you can forget. With cold, crystal-clear water, incredible wildlife, an abundance of native wildflowers, and so much more, the North Umpqua’s beauty is unmatched.

The North Umpqua and its salmon and steelhead have been struggling in recent years. From devastating fires in 2020, to low flows and warm water temperatures in the summer months. Another major factor that delays and harms fish is Winchester Dam. The 17-foot, 450-foot wide, 130-year-old timber crib dam is located close to Roseburg and the confluence of the North and South Umpqua rivers. The dam has received no substantial updates for fish passage or migration since the 70’s, besides the newly installed lamprey ladder. It is privately owned by Winchester Water Control District (WWCD) and does not provide flood control or hydropower of any kind. Its sole purpose is to provide a private water ski lake, according to WaterWatch, for 100 people.

Dam removal is a popular topic nationwide — the Klamath River dams, the Elwaha River Dam, and Condit Dam on the White Salmon River. But for some reason, Winchester Dam is not part of this conversation. This dam has been killing fish for decades, and it only continues to get worse. Winchester Dam has an outdated fish ladder that is incredibly hard for fish to navigate and it doesn’t meet state or federal fish passage regulations. In 2018, WWCD attempted to repair a massive hole on the south side of the dam. During the repair, they poured green concrete into the North Umpqua River, polluting the drinking water of close to 37,000 people and killing fish. ODEQ fined the district for these actions, but there was no enforcement of the fish kill. To top it all off, just a few years later the same hole has reappeared. For decades, WWCD has been attempting band-aid style repairs to the dam, often contaminating drinking water and causing harm to fish and wildlife.

This August, WWCD attempted yet another set of repairs that caused river conditions to be worse than ever before. Water polluted with raw, untreated concrete was washed down the river. Fish were trapped below the dam for 4 weeks in dangerously high water temperatures, disrupting their migration. At least 550,000 Pacific Lamprey were killed. For their horrific negligence, WWCD received fines of $26 million issued by ODFW and over $150,000 by Oregon DEQ. None of the repairs this summer seem to improve fish passage for salmon and steelhead.

As the public, it is up to us to make sure that this river continues to be one of beauty and is filled with incredible fish. Removing Winchester Dam will help the entire ecosystem of the North Umpqua. There are multiple ways to help support ensuring the North Umpqua River is protected from further ongoing harm. First, consider supporting conservation organizations actively working to remove this deadbeat dam. Second, I urge you to write a letter to your elected officials and our Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, sharing your disappointment in how this river has been treated by WWCD and the state and federal agencies. And lastly, I encourage you to learn more about the North Umpqua River and the amazing fish that call this river home. It’s time to remove Winchester Dam and restore a free-flowing North Umpqua River.

Editor’s Note

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