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Chavez-DeRemer introduces legislation to continue federal funding for Deschutes River Conservancy

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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) introduced legislation Thursday to continue federal funding for the Deschutes River Conservancy, which has helped improve water quality along the Deschutes River Basin since 1996. Chavez-DeRemer’s proposal, the Deschutes River Conservancy Act, would reauthorize the DRC for 10 years – ensuring tribes, farmers, foresters, ranchers, and environmental groups

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Oregon’s better snowpack, water supply outlook brings state denial of Jefferson County’s drought declaration request

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MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A better winter snowpack for much of Oregon has improved water supply conditions to the point where Jefferson County’s request for a state drought declaration for the sixth straight year was denied, and a request for consideration Wednesday fared no better before the Oregon Drought Committee. County Commissioner Kelly Simmelink and

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OSU researchers identify fastest rate of natural carbon dioxide rise in the last 50,000 years

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CORVALLIS, Ore. (KTVZ) – Today’s rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years, researchers have found through a detailed chemical analysis of ancient Antarctic ice. The findings, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provide important new understanding of

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Public comments taken until June 14 on changes to Oregon groundwater rules; commission meeting set in Bend

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SALEM, Ore.  – The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) is updating the rules for new groundwater rights applications and is seeking public input on proposed rules that have been developed with input from a Rules Advisory Committee. OWRD is hosting two in-person public hearings and one virtual hearing in May to allow for the public

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Oregon State scientists, collaborators say ocean biodiversity work needs improvement

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CORVALLIS, Ore. (KTVZ) – An international collaboration that includes two Oregon State University scientists says the world’s largest marine protected areas aren’t collectively delivering the biodiversity benefits they could be because of slow implementation of management strategies and a failure to restrict the most impactful human activities. Their analysis of the 100 biggest marine protected

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COCC uses $112K grant to add electric vehicle charging infrastructure at its Bend, Prineville campuses

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Other charging ports already in place in Redmond, Madras BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A nearly $112,000 grant from the Oregon Clean Fuels Program and Pacific Power has brought new electric vehicle-charging infrastructure to Central Oregon, with four charging ports recently installed by grantee Central Oregon Community College (COCC) at its Bend and Prineville campuses, free and open

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Water conservation was topic of discussion at Tuesday’s Redmond City Council meeting

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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — During Tuesday night’s Redmond City Council meeting, a presentation on water conservation was front and center. Redmond Mayor Ed Fitch said, “Everyone uses water on the Deschutes Basin, needs to use it in a much more conservative way. Stewardship, and so that’s what we’re going to engage in going forward.” Water conservation

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Oregon Water Resources Department sets public hearings on proposed changes to groundwater allocation rules

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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Water Resources Department is updating the rules for new groundwater rights applications and is seeking public input on proposed rules that have been developed with input from a Rules Advisory Committee. OWRD is hosting two in-person public hearings and one virtual hearing in May to allow for the public

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Deschutes County hosting three household hazardous waste collection events in Redmond, Sisters and La Pine

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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — This May and June, the Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste will be hosting three household hazardous waste collection events for the communities of Redmond, Sisters and La Pine. These special, one-day events will give residents the opportunity to drop off their household hazardous waste items FREE of charge. “Common household waste like

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Wyden, colleagues introduce bills to extend drought relief, water monitoring programs

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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., have introduced two bipartisan bills that would extend existing programs to continue important water management programs and address long-term drought in the West. The Drought Preparedness Act and the Water Data Improvement Act would reauthorize current programs managed by the U.S. Department of Interior and

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Appeals court rejects climate change lawsuit by young Oregon activists against US government

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By GENE JOHNSON Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — A federal appeals court panel on Wednesday rejected a long-running lawsuit brought by young Oregon-based climate activists who argued that the U.S. government’s role in climate change violated their constitutional rights. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously ordered the case dismissed in 2020, saying that

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Interior Department proposes offshore wind energy sales off Oregon coast, in Gulf of Maine

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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — In what the Biden-Harris administration called “another step to support the growing momentum across America for a clean energy economy,” the Department of the Interior announced Tuesday two proposals for offshore wind energy auctions off the Oregon coast and in the Gulf of Maine. Here’s the full announcement: The two sales proposed by the

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‘We need to treat this as an emergency’: Eastern Oregonians await action from state, feds on groundwater contamination

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BOARDMAN, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) – It’s been more than 30 years since it was first learned that there were problems with toxic chemicals called nitrates seeping into the drinking water in Morrow and Umatilla counties.  And since then, the problem has only gotten worse.  On Wednesday, high-level officials from the state and federal governments — Gov. Tina Kotek

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