Water Quality Concerns? Here's How To Report Them
Rogue Riverkeeper is frequently contacted by members of the public who see streams or other waterbodies that don’t look right and seem to have a water quality problem. Maybe it’s an oily sheen or a plume of discolored or muddy water. It is great that folks are out there with their eyes open and we do want to hear about your concerns. To report your observations to Rogue Riverkeeper, use our form and we will follow up with you.
The good news is that there is a process to get the attention of an agency who can investigate the issue. Depending on what the substance is and where it is located will dictate the type of response. Sometimes you may see something that looks like pollution, but is a natural phenomenon. Or you might see something that is a life-threatening emergency.
For an emergency situation, call 911. An emergency type of spill would be the release of a substance or quantity that is an immediate threat to public safety (for example: a gas or oil spill). For this type of incident, local agencies such as police or fire personnel normally provide the first response. Once notified, safety agencies contact the Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS) : 1-800-452-0311. Alternatively, you as a member of the public can call OERS to report a spill. This would be for a substance, quantity, or in a location that is not an immediate threat to public safety.
For non-urgent or non-emergency concerns such as removal of riparian vegetation, earth moving in a stream channel, polluted stormwater runoff, one can file a confidential complaint with OR DEQ (meaning the reporting party will not be identified outside of DEQ) and include photos of the issue. This is the best way for the state agency which enforces the Clean Water Act to hear about concerns and do follow-up.