Dear Friends -
I hope you are all doing well. Spring is upon us and Willamette Riverkeeper (WR) is engaged in a bunch of work, and frankly, we are getting things done! Not to toot our own horn too much, but at times I feel it is important to show all of you how much this small non-profit organization accomplishes, and how YOUR support is the catalyst! Whether you donate monthly, yearly, or contribute your labor to the task at hand - you make the difference for us.
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Over the last month, WR has:
- Settled a major Clean Water Act Lawsuit against the City of Albany which goes a long way toward cleaner water for the river.
- Launched registration for three major events this summer, Pinot Paddle, Harvest Paddle, and our especially unique event, Paddle Oregon which has been on pause for the last two years.
- Conducted two dozen cleanup events getting hundreds of you out along the river, with more to come this month (see below)!
- Made progress on another land acquisition, more on this one soon.
- Made major contributions to getting SB 1589 passed by the legislature, and signed by the Governor.
- Shed major light on the problem with factory chicken facilities along the North Santiam and Thomas Creek.
- Our restoration team facilitated the planting of tens of thousands of native plants at various sites along the river.
- Continued to engage with the cleanup process for the Portland Harbor Superfund site.
- Hired a new Staff Attorney to take over for our departing Elisabeth Holmes (see more below).
All of this work is made possible by you all. We thank you for that. If for whatever reason you’ve been on the fence in regard to financial support, well the time is now to leap to the supporting side. Become a monthly donor today, or consider a special gift for our Clean Water advocacy, River Discovery Program, or our land acquisition efforts.
Again, thank you all and I hope to see many of you soon!
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Travis Williams
Riverkeeper & Executive Director
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We want to express a big thank you to Elisabeth "Eli" Holmes, who has served as WR’s Staff Attorney for several years.
Executive Director, Travis, had worked with Eli on a major blood waste case around 2010 at a cow butchering facility near Fern Ridge Reservoir west of Eugene. Needless to say, their efforts, along with friend Doug Quirke, made a big difference in that case.
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After joining the WR team, Eli has helped to advance Clean Water Act Compliance, healthy habitat, keeping toxics out of our water and land, and dealing with a range of other issues related to the Willamette River’s health. Eli’s tenacity, patience, and intelligence has brought our legal work to the next level. She will be moving on from WR to serve as Senior Counsel at SRAP, a nationwide organization that works to decrease the impact of factory farms on local communities, and helps to train them to fight back. Eli also helped connect us with our new Staff Attorney, Lindsey (see below).
Eli will still be around since she works from Eugene, and will always be part of the WR family.
Thank you so much Eli!
Image of Eli drinking coffee at the 2021 Harvest Paddle, taken by Johnny Childers.
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Meet Lindsey, our Staff Attorney, and the newest member of the Willamette Riverkeeper team!
Lindsey has worked in water conservation since graduating from Smith College in 2015. After college she worked in anadromous fish habitat restoration, volunteer coordination, and environmental education before going to law school at University of Oregon. She graduated from law school in 2021 and obtained certificates in Environmental & Natural Resources Law and Ocean & Coastal Law.
She is passionate about conserving and restoring waterways and is excited to continue this important work with Willamette Riverkeeper. We're glad to have her on the team!
Welcome to the team Lindsey!
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Upcoming Single Day Events |
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Spring For Your River: We celebrated Earth Day with the launch of our Spring For Your River cleanup series. With the help of 118 volunteers located throughout the Willamette Valley, we have removed 21 yards of trash and 74+ needles from the river. But we're not done yet! We have over 17 events happening through the end of May in Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, St. Paul and more. Spring For Your River with us and register today!
Trashy Treasure Hunt & Restoration Tour: Join us at Gail Achterman Wildlife Area (GAWA) on May 28. Richard and Vanessa from our restoration team will take participants on a unique tour, offering information of our work in the area to date. Come and explore the flora and fauna with our team!
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Cathedral Park in Portland Cleanup: After successfully removing 7.5 yards of trash in April, we'll be returning to Cathedral Park in N Portland for another on water cleanup on June 4. Bring your own boat, or borrow one of ours, and register today!
Restoration Work Party: Join Richard and Vanessa from our restoration team on June 24 for a ludwigia hand pull event at Mission Lake! Participants can bring their own boat, or borrow one of ours!
Pride Paddle: Mark your calendar for our Portland Pride Paddle, happening June 14 from 5 - 8pm! Registration coming soon.
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Image of canoist paddling towards St. Johns Bridge, taken by volunteer Victoria Lysenko. |
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Join Willamette Riverkeeper at one (or more!) of our three overnight events happening this summer. Each event offers a unique experience, camping under the stars, a local dining experience, river education, live music and of course an adventure like no other on the Willamette River!
Paddle Oregon: August 15 - 19, 2022 Register today for the 20th Annual Paddle Oregon event. Participants will paddle 85 miles of the Willamette River and enjoy a weeklong adventure unlike any other. This trip includes locally catered meals, live music, educational talks, and more!
Harvest Paddle: September 17 - 18, 2022 Participants will paddle 28 miles on the Willamette River and enjoy a mini-Willamette Valley beer and cider fest while on land. Breweries to be announced soon. Grab a friend and register today!
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River Discovery Program is Expanding in 2022 |
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In the coming months, Willamette Riverkeeper will be expanding our River Discovery Progam thanks to grant funding the Oregon State Marine Board. Our current River Discovery Program aims to host events throughout the year with the intent of connecting people to the river via an on-water experience. We find this to be an effective tool for educating, creating opportunities for new experiences, promoting stewardship, and developing community interest in our work.
With this program expansion, we will be hosting events through October focusing on BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, veterans, formerly houseless individuals, people in recovery from addiction, and low-income communities throughout the Willamette Valley. These paddles will include an online learning session, as well as an in person day of paddling to put the skills learned into practice and a PFD to take home. Participants will learn paddling basics, water safety, dynamics of moving water, and more!
Are you a member of a club, organization or business that would benefit from a partnership in this program? Reach out to Annette at annette@willametteriverkeeper.org.
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City of Eugene Proposed Code Amendments |
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Recently, the City of Eugene has undertaken Middle Housing expansion as part of an effort to address affordable housing. As part of this endeavor, the City is proposing changes to the Greenway Code in favor of housing development near the river.
Willamette Riverkeeper has joined several local advocates to push back on changes to the current code. The proposed changes would streamline permits for large housing developments in the Willamette Greenway, while minimizing public notification and testimonial process. In turn, this would increase stormwater concerns and shrinking access to natural areas.These changes would affect areas within Eugene city limits, but carry potential implications to set precedence for urban development in other parts of the Willamette Greenway.
To learn more about the proposed changes and participate in the public comment process as hearings are scheduled, please see the City of Eugene's land use page here.
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NEW BOOK RELEASE: Willamette River Greenways by Travis Williams This book takes a deep dive into the Willamette River Greenway Program, and uses Oregon’s “greenways” as a useful lens to shed light on Oregon’s shortcomings in regard to protecting our water, air and land.
WR has a special offer: If you donate $250 to WR by the end of May, you will receive a free, signed copy of the book!
Paddle. Camp. Repeat. Tees! Kick off this paddling season with a new shirt. These tri-blend tees come in a women's or men's fit, with the option of blue or gray. Purchase yours today for just $25!
Maps! Starting to plan for your summer river trips? Grab a digital or paper (waterproof of course) copy of our Willamette River Maps on the Willamette Water Trail. Available for the Upper and Lower Willamette River.
*New maps scheduled to release in July.
Coffee! Enjoy a warm cup of Roast #187 from Pastor John's Blessed Beans. Roasted in Oregon City, this is a great way to support Willamette Riverkeeper and a local small business. Purchase 2lbs. (that's two bags!) of this amazing dark roast for just $35!
Willamette Water Trail Patches, we're selling them for just $5!
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