Fishing, environmental groups sue over Umpqua River dam

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Environmental and fishing groups are suing a small, private water district in southern Oregon over a 130-year-old dam on a pristine stretch of the North Umpqua River.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene asks a judge to order the Winchester Water Control District to build a new fish ladder on the Winchester Dam and make major repairs to the overall dam, which is on a national historic registry.

Fishing groups say they are acting because the dam is a threat to protected Oregon Coast coho salmon that live in pristine river habitat above the dam.