Embedded Files
In this article, Rylie Revercomb addresses some of the recent environmental stress in Oregon and what the state is doing to combat these issues.
Oregon's Environmental Troubles
Oregon's Environmental Troubles
By: Rylie Revercomb
By: Rylie Revercomb
Oregon is considered one of the most beautiful states in America, and why wouldn’t it be? We have towering mountains, rows of trees that change color with the season, wide and deep lakes like our very own Crater Lake, direct ocean access along the Oregon coast, caves, dunes, and snowy slopes during the winter. It feels like Oregon has everything. Every season is beautiful in its own unique way. However, that magnificence is being threatened by the very people that inhabit this planet. Our actions, as a species, push our ecosystems and climates closer to the edge every day. Oregon is being pushed closer to the edge. This is why it is important to address climate change and work towards conservation. Being informed is one of the greatest powers that humans have.
Regarding climate change specifically, Oregon is under some heat. Literally. It is not breaking news that the state is forced to survive through the fire season every summer. However, with rising climate also comes an increase in larger wildfire breakouts. In Oregon and across the entire United States. Studies suggest that these outbreaks are only going to continue to grow, becoming more frequent as humanity tips closer and closer to the no-return zone of permanent climate damage. As of 2025, over 200 homes were burned down and many people were evacuated as a result of the fires. While that’s awful enough, more fire also means more smoke. An executive summary of 2023 from the official website for the State of Oregon, Oregon Gov, summarizes that “smoke from wildfires is causing increases in AQI values that are unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse.” The website also addresses how occasional forest burning is healthy for some Oregon forests. However, the trend of wildfires starting sooner and ending later is NOT healthy. With larger fire and smoke numbers, areas in Oregon that have historically not been affected by the fires are now facing some of the consequences, as well. The first instance of this was in 2020, when the entire internet blew up over how orange the sky looked. The reason for that shift in color was the smoke. The dense wildfire smoke fills the sky with particles that block out shorter wavelengths of color. This means that yellow, green, and blue cannot pass through other colors that have longer wavelengths, such as red and orange. This scientific phenomenon, while horrifically beautiful on a late summer night, is another sign that climate change is getting out of control.
On the topic of heat and warming temperatures, it is necessary to address that Oregon’s stunning forests are not the only ecosystem disrupted by this change. Our oceans are experiencing grief, too. Marine habitats around the world are already experiencing the downsides of the rising water temperature-- such as the Great Barrier Reef, where coral is experiencing greater bleaches every year. (Bleaching is the phenomenon in which coral expel their symbiotic algae, causing them to lose their signature color.) The Great Barrier Reef is undergoing a drop of ~25% coral cover each year.
While Oregon does not have vast underwater forests of coral, the state is facing a different kind of threat. Scientists call it: The Blob. Scary name, huh? Similar to how the classic horror movie The Blob (1958 and 1988) is terrifying to humans, the underwater blob is terrifying for marine wildlife. The blob was a long-lasting marine heatwave that formed in the Pacific Ocean, primarily along the Oregon coastline. Its reign of terror lasted from 2013-2016, and it has been described as an ever-shifting mass of overheated surface water. During this achingly long stretch of three years, the blob caused irreversible damage along the coastline-- mostly affecting Oregon. According to the official NASA website, this harmful blob of warm water triggered “extended harmful algae blooms… shut down much of the Pacific fishing industry,” and led to “Chinook salmon populations in Washington and Oregon plummeting.” These were only some of the bigger issues caused by the blob; other effects of the unusual and persistent heat wave were dead fin whales and sea otters washing up along the Alaskan coast. Because otters, a keystone species in certain marine ecosystems, were being killed by the heat, this led to a massive upend in the marine food chain that left other creatures-- such as the Californian Sea Lions-- starved for food. While this whole ordeal was detrimental, fortunately, Oregon's coast has had time to recover for nearly nine years. Unfortunately… the blob is making a comeback. Articles are popping online with news of the return, with scientists terrified of the return as their budgets are cut by the Trump Administration. It seems like one loss after another for Oregon's climate.
Another water ecosystem is also taking a recent hit, with news of a mysterious red pigment turning Delta Ponds red. Delta Ponds is described by Michael Dunne on KLCC as, “a kind of natural oasis.” It’s set on the Willamette River in Eugene, and is currently under the protection of many conservative efforts in order to protect the wetland area. Unfortunately, climate change is taking its toll here as well. Delta Ponds is surrounded by an aquatic fern called Azolla filiculoides, a water fern that is usually a deep green color, but turns into a deep red/amber color when exposed to environmental stress. Other ponds across the state and country are occasionally affected by this “pigment color change” which, in reality, is just a result of thousands of those individual ferns floating on the surface of the water. So… what makes this instance different? Well, the ferns are changing color and shedding at a faster and larger rate than usual. This is because of how climate change has hit Delta Ponds. In an interview with Lauri Holts, an ecologist with the city of Eugene Parks and Open Space Department, KLCC documented her saying: “water levels are extremely low… I’ve been working out there since 2004 and I’ve never seen the water levels so low… Our summers are getting so long and dry that it’s definitely impacting the amount of water available.” With low water levels, both in the ponds and nearby rivers, it is no wonder that the plant life is getting stressed out. With that stress comes changing color, which also leads to the plants shedding much too early. Climate change is the reason for changes in our beautiful, wild scenery. Is there anything that can be done about it?
It all seems pretty hopeless. What kind of difference can a person living in Oregon make? It is kind of daunting. Thankfully, however, there are actions that WE, as the little guy, can take to combat some of the environmental strain in our state. By voting people into government roles, people who actually want to make a change for the better, we can make a difference in our communities and state. As of right now, thanks to Oregonians who have voted to better our wildlife, the state government is taking legal action to help the declining salmon population. This court filing comes in response to the Trump administration's cancellation of agreements with the states and tribes. Because of this, environmental groups and our state government are pushing court injunction to force federal dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers to lower reservoirs and increase the amount of water that they let flow downstream. According to an article on OPB, Earthjustice Attorney Amanda Goodwin stated in a press release, “When the Trump administration reneged on this carefully negotiated agreement-- and offered no alternative plan to restore imperiled salmon and steelhead-- we had no option but to resume our longstanding litigation to protect endangered salmon.” Because of the people that Oregonians voted into office, we now have a government that is willing to fight for the good of our environment. This is not the first time that this has happened either. Our state government restored the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) in Nov. 2024, a program that aims to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050. Oregon has also established the Natural and Working Lands Grant Offerings, which is a fund to provide financial incentives and support to environmental justice communities. Most of these funds are distributed to Oregon’s outstanding commitment to watershed health across our state. However, it does not end there. Our government is also taking steps toward combating plastic pollution with the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act of 2021, and Oregon has set goals for electricity providers to meet a certain level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Oregon, unlike some other states, is actively working to make our communities safer and cleaner to live in.
This is thanks to government officials who want to make positive climate change. Progress can be slow and seem impossible. All of the looming threats of future climate change problems linger over our heads like thunderous storm clouds. However, it is important to keep pushing through. Be informed, be involved, and be active. While some people believe that climate change and its dangerous effects are not real, it doesn’t matter. Do the next best step for your community and environment. Whether you are picking up trash in your streets or parks, saving water at home, or reducing gas emissions by using clean energy alternatives, there is something that all of us can do for our city, county, state, country, and the world. Remember, we would not have Grants Pass without our infamous slogan, “It’s the Climate!” So, work to keep our climate alive, thriving, and beautiful.
Source:
Source:
Page updated
Report abuse