Dam Removal

Savage Rapids Dam
Gold Hill Diversion Dam
Elk Creek Dam
Gold Ray Dam

What do all of these dams have in common?  They are all dams that impacted the Rogue River and have been breached within the last four years.  There are many benefits to dam removal, such as natural river flows, cooler water, improved water quality and sediment transport.  All of these benefits lead to native resident and migratory species recovery.  This is great news for the Rogue's Salmon population and in turn the entire watershed.  It also makes for a more rewarding rafting experience.
The Rogue is a free flowing river for 157 miles!  It flows from the William L. Jess Dam on Lost Creek Lake to the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach.

Below is an impressive video that shows what an initial dam breech looks like.  It was filmed at the Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in Washington which was breached Wednesday.

Umpqua Hot Springs

Umpqua is one of the many hot spring gems in the great state of Oregon.  Located east of Roseburg it is a must visit for anyone who enjoys a good soak.  The hike in is beautiful and not very hard.  The pools are located on a bare cliff about 150 feet above the North Umpqua River.  If you visit in the winter you will need your skis or snowshoes for access.

One of the many travertine pools.

Gov. wants Wild Rogue listed as a 'crown jewel'

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has sent a natural-treasures wish list to Uncle Sam that includes a portion of the Lower Rogue River drainage.

In a Sept. 27 letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Ed Shepard, state director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Oregon, Kitzhaber nominated the proposed 58,000-acre Wild Rogue wilderness area in the BLM's Medford District as a national "Crown Jewel."

He also included the proposed 30,000-acre Devil's Staircase wilderness area in the agency's Coos Bay District and the 8,200-acre Cathedral Rock and 8,900-acre Horse Heaven wilderness areas in the Prineville District. All four sites have been proposed as wilderness areas in Congress.
In his letter, the governor wrote the four sites represent the state's diverse natural beauty. He noted the proposed Wild Rogue was introduced in two previous congresses as a national wild and scenic rivers package. It was modified last year to address timber-interest concerns, he noted.

"The resulting compromise includes 58,000 acres of wilderness located in the Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon in an area of the Rogue River known for world-class rafting, fishing and renowned salmon runs," he wrote. "This proposal has significant support from the business community, which relies heavily on the Rogue River for its economic prosperity."

The proposed wilderness area is downriver from the mouth of Grave Creek in the lower section of the river.

In addition to those proposed wilderness areas, Kitzhaber indicated he supported protecting other areas of BLM forestland, including expanding the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in the mountains east of Ashland. He noted that various scientists have called for its expansion to "better safeguard protection of the area's unique biological values."

In a June 10 letter to Congress, Salazar asked for wilderness areas on BLM land where there is "strong support in the local community and among elected officials for permanent protection, and that you believe are ready for designation as wilderness by this Congress."

*Information for this blog post was taken from Medfod's Mail Tribune.