Public Meetings

Public meetings are usually held on the 4th Wednesday of each month
6:30 – 8:30 pm

Our February public meeting will be replaced by the following partner meetings:

February 18th 6:30 pm Creswell City Hall

February 18th 7:30 pm Cottage Grove City Hall

Visit our BLOG for more interesting information and activities

Over 2,010 Trees Planted at East Regional Park in the first week of 2010

Getting the new year off to a positive start, on Wednesday January 6, 2010, the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council moved over 2,000 trees into position at their future home at this project site in Cottage Grove. Employing the help of the whole student body at Kennedy Alternative High School, trucks were loaded with trees by students, teachers, and volunteers forming a ‘fireline.’ Later, a smaller crew of Kennedy Conservation Corps students and teachers joined Watershed Council volunteers and staff unloading those trees at the park and moving additional trees from the US Forest Service Dorena Tree Improvement Center. Willows and red-twig dogwood comprised the majority of the plants (technically shrubs) chosen for their suitability to the wet edge of the ponds in this floodplain of the Row River.

Students participated in the collection of the plant material under leadership of Matthew Hall at Kennedy High School. For the last two years, Rob Cox of the US Forest Service coordinated the planting and grow-out of these plants at the Dorena facility. The Watershed Council wants to thank all our partners, including the City of Cottage Grove, for their cooperation and contributions to this project.

Students will return to the site to assist in the planting of these trees. In addition, the Watershed Council contracted with Oregon Woods to conduct both brush cutting and tree planting. An auger on a Bobcat was at work at the park while volunteers delivered the trees and hundreds of trees have already been planted. Park users may notice that the City added some gravel to the site to mitigate mud.

A test planting was conducted on December 13th with volunteers who planted 140 trees into cobbly soil. Special thanks to Andy McClean, Smith-Lund-Mills, and the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council volunteers for their contributions to this effort. Community members can find out how to get involved at the January 27th Watershed Council meeting at 6:30 pm at the Cottage Grove Community Center, 700 E. Gibbs.

Questions about the details of the restoration effort can be directed to Project Manager Pat French at (541) 913-2716.

Newsletter

Fall 2009 Newsletter
Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council

Welcome to the fall 2009 edition of the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council quarterly newsletter.  Each quarter, look in our newsletter upcoming events, updates on current projects, opportunities to volunteer, important restoration information, and more!

If you would like to receive a printed copy of our newsletter, please email your name, address, telephone, and email to our Executive Director

To provide you with more information about the Council, see our Biennial Report which outlines key activities of the 2007-2008 biennium.

Help support restoration and the
Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council.

Give the gift that keeps on growing and supports a healthy watershed!

More Donation Info HERE

We have special edition prints from local artist Tony Willey. For a donation of $30 or more, you will receive both a print and 5 trees planted in honor of you or someone you choose.

Review the PowerPoint presentation for the February 25th public meeting on Mosby Creek Roadside Vegetation Management presented by Orin Schumacher, vegetation management coordinator in the Lane County Department of Public Works. This PowerPoint presentation is in PDF format

Review the slide presentation from the Coast Fork January 27th public meeting on Early Detection/Rapid Response for invasive species presented by Tania Siemens.

Note: this is a large PDF file with many photos. It will take a few minutes to display

Community
Alerts

Japanese Knotweed

Do you have this plant in your yard?

If you do, then you have a very invasive weed and it should be eliminated.
What is it and why is it so invasive?

Garden Lake Riparian Restoration Project

Centrally located in the Creswell park situated in the NE corner of the I-5 interchange, this 34-acre park is home to a variety of water birds, raptors and migrating songbirds. As the ponds are in-line with Hill Creek, their condition affects the ability of that system to support native cutthroat trout, Western pond turtles and other aquatic species.

More Information and link to restoration photos HERE

Coast Fork Action Plan

In 2005, the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council completed the Lower Coast Fork Assessment. Drawing from recommendations in this local document, and a diversity of reference materials, the Coast Fork Action Plan was completed in June 2007. This document serves as an outline of both geographic and ecological priorities for the restoration work implemented by our council. Our Technical Committee uses this framework to guide project choice and development.

As we strive to represent local interests, please bring any missing priorities or updates to our attention!

This project was funded by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality 319 program and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

Action Plan

ODFW Fish Monitoring & Council Partnership

ODFW Fish Biologist Erik Moberly works closely with volunteers to install & maintain the hoop fish trap in Hill Creek above Garden Lake Park and the screw trap on Mosby Creek. The Council relies on partnerships with local natural resource agencies for this data about key species.Last Fall, ODFW planted Spring Chinook in Mosby Creek at the request of a local timberland manager. All interested parties will be awaiting the return of the juveniles that successfully emerged from the redds! A Mosby Creek Stakeholder Group is now forming to plan restoration projects in this important tributary. To get involved contactVolunteers are needed to check the hoop fish trap to be located at Hill Creek above Garden Lake Park and the screw fish trap on Mosby Creek

Please contact us and we will let Erik know you are interested.

  Contact the watershed office

TMDL Implementation Planning

The Coast Fork Council is exploring involvement with local municipalities Creswell & Cottage Grove) on their water  quality requirements.

The pollutants of concern in the Coast Fork include:
     TEMPERATURE, NUTRIENTS, & MERCURY

Habitat restoration such as tree planting can SHADE waterways, which reduce temperatures. The Council will be assisting in the identification of solutions for pollution mitigation and prevention!

Donations

Excited to have an active Watershed Council in the Coast Fork Watershed?

If you like the work we are doing, please support us!

A tax-deductible donation is possible due to a partnership we have with the Coast Fork Fund/McKenzie Watershed Alliance

 Consider making a donation to your watershed.

See how HERE

Visit our Gallery movie for some interesting watershed photos 

WILLAMETTE RIVER WATERSHED

Nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Coast Range of Oregon, the Willamette Valley represents a unique geographical area. Its mild climate and fertile soils have long been a place of human habitation. The watershed is also an important tributary of the Columbia River, one of the largest in the US. The importance of this region ecologically and economically cannot be understated, thus the stewardship of this landscape and its waterways are key to the health of this place and its inhabitants.

Enjoy your watershed.