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May Riverscape
From The Riverkeeper
Hello friends - 
 
I hope you all are doing as well as can be during these times. It is sweet to see all of the flowered trees and shrubs, and the abundance of green leaves all around. The advance of Spring is especially vibrant along the river floodplain where Red Osier Dogwood, a variety of Willow species, and Oregon Ash are leafing out in earnest. 
As many of you know, the floodplain along the river, those low-lying lands
and backwater areas along the Willamette, are some of the most essential elements for river health and productivity. Whether one looks at wild fish, amphibians, migratory and resident birds or freshwater mussels, these areas provide critical habitat that creates shade, and cool water during the hottest part of the year - critical to a range of species. 
This is one reason why, in addition to addressing reducing fossil fuel use in a variety of ways, that WR works to protect, restore and add to healthy floodplain lands along the Willamette. 
Such protect and restored habitat can tangibly improve climate resiliency in the face of changing conditions. Climate change is real, and comes with an array of impacts - some which are quite evident to most anyone. In addition to reducing the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere, we must also work toward resilient ecosystems in order to grapple with hotter summers, reduced water availability, and more dramatic shifts in weather.

WR’s work along the river is multifaceted. Part of that is working to secure new
floodplain lands in a natural state for the long-term, and working to improve the ecological condition of both WR’s properties, and those of our State agencies, such as those owned by Oregon State Parks. It has become clear that our work can establish new conservation lands along the Willamette that can improve the level of climate resiliency along the river. In the coming months we will continue to identify and respond to opportunities. To date lands in decent ecological condition have been acquired, and even former farmland has come our way. In either instance, climate resilience can be increased by protecting an improving the condition of these lands. 
You can assist us in this work in the following ways:

a) Support our acquisition program financially. Last year you all did a fantastic job of supporting our acquisition of a portion of Ash Island at a number of levels. Additional opportunities may arise in the coming months. 
b) If you have a property that may work for conservation or know someone who does, get in touch with us! Over the years people have asked if we would be interested in those parcels adjacent to the river for donation or purchase. At times such options can yield long-term conservation options. 

c) Spread the word about our work! If you know someone who may be interested, let them know what we are up to. 

With your help, WR can make a difference with climate change with our acquisition and restoration program, and in doing so provide great benefits for the river. In some cases such lands also benefit low impact recreation from
canoes, kayaks, SUPs and more traveling along the river. Whether a property is modest in size, or large, or needs restoration attention - all of this can help augment the level of climate resiliency in the Willamette system. 
As always, thank you for all of your support. It means a lot to us.  
Travis Williams
Riverkeeper & Executive Director
Spring For Your River Cleanup Series

Thank you volunteers and partners who joined our cleanup efforts during the month of April!

We hosted 8 Spring for Your River Cleanup events where 103 of you joined us for a collective total of 201 hours spent cleaning up our communities. We successfully hauled away 31 yards of trash, 102 needles and although still social distancing, we are SO grateful to be back at work with you.

And the best part is,
we're not done yet!
Join us at one of our 15 events happening between
Portland and Eugene throughout May!
Updates From Our Legal Team
Willamette Valley Dams
Following a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Hills Creek and Lookout Point Dams’ structural integrity in the event of a Cascadian Subduction Zone Earthquake, Willamette Riverkeeper submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for documents on structural integrity of all 13 federal dams in the Willamette Valley System. The Corps delayed providing any documents, and Willamette Riverkeeper had to file suit in federal court last year with our co-counsel, Dan Snyder at the Law Offices of Charles M. Tebbutt, P.C. This spring, the Corps finally agreed to a document production schedule which was entered as a Court order. We are looking forward to receiving these important and voluminous records and sharing them with you. If you are interested in
seeing documents, please let us know!
2020 Forest Fires
Willamette Riverkeeper has joined forces with numerous other environmental groups to track the significant post-fire logging state and federal agencies are proposing after 2020’s devastating wildfires. We are engaging in public participation opportunities, advocating for forest health to protect water quality and quantity across the Willamette River Basin. Despite our efforts to avoid litigation, to protect the Santiam State Forest’s old mature complex habitat, the water supply for the Santiam River Basin, and drinking water for downstream communities, we had to file a lawsuit in state court against the Oregon Department of Forestry to stop clearcutting. We joined Cascadia Wildlands, Oregon Wild, Corvallis and Salem Audubon Societies, Benton Forest Coalition, the Center for Biological Diversity, and local resident John Jackson in this monumental effort to push the ODF to follow its own forest management and implementation plans.

You can join interested groups in Salem on May 6 at 4pm to rally to protect what is left of our forest - more details can be found on here.
2021 Legislative Update
Willamette Riverkeeper and our lobbyist, Greg Leo, have been working virtually in Salem to address a range of issues in the current legislative session. This work includes seeking to advance good ideas, and to stave off attempts to weaken protections for clean water and healthy habitat. 
For example, HB 2695 would expand and diversify the Oregon State Marine Board, providing some additional qualifications for Board Members and adding two positions. This bill has advanced through the House to the Senate where it now waits for a hearing.
However, even with the current composition of the Oregon Legislature, there are a great many common sense bills that are seemingly being ignored - with evidence of some of the old trappings of power keeping good ideas at bay. For example, HB 2844 would have changed beaver from predatory animal on private lands to furbearer, and in doing so encouraging a series of non lethal steps to deal with issues. Amazingly, even in the “Beaver State” this bill did not even get a hearing from the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Perhaps it is all in the name - what “agriculture” has to do with Natural Resources is a solid question, but that is the current reality in Oregon. 

Other bills related to the beaver also languished. Frankly, the State of Oregon does little to nothing to protect this cool rodent that actually aids ecosystem health. We have no firm population estimates, we allow it to be killed with impunity, and even hunting and trapping interests seem to hold power over what should be an animal that we all cherish. 

There are many other examples of bills that are not doing well. Yes, the legislature is still in session, but it is clear that many good ideas that could help protect and restore the natural world have fallen victim to lobbying interests that will spend money at all costs to keep the status quo. 

The current session truly brings the question - what are Oregon’s Green Ways? It would seem that we are largely living in the past in regard to environmental protections - and this is something that must clearly change. 
Wapato Revival; Collaborative Restoration of the Willamette River’s Aquatic Ecosystems
Many of you are familiar with the native aquatic plant, wapato (Sagittaria latifolia), an important historical food source for many indigenous people throughout the Northwest. Wapato is an indicator of river health, and during last summer’s Willamette River surveys for aquatic invasive species (AIS), we anecdotally noted a resurgence of healthy patches of wapato in many locations.
This increase in wapato could well be in response to successful AIS treatments, and perhaps in part due to high water events which scour the river and tend to favor native plants. In looking at reducing the deleterious impacts of AIS on the Willamette River, we are also hoping for a revival of wapato and other native plants.

The authors and many WAIN members invested considerable energy and time into the into development of the Wapato Revival Plan, and now it is finally available for your review. Hallelujah!


Download and check out the Wapato Revival Plan here!

This plan has something for everyone and includes background, goals, strategic objectives, as well as, color-coded “heat maps” that reveal priority areas for restoration investments. The compressed version above can be downloaded from WAIN’s temporary presence on the Western Invasive Network website, although WAIN members are currently working on developing a more permanent educational web presence for Wapato Revival and Willamette Aquatic Invasives Network.

Funding for the Wapato Revival Plan was generously provided by the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Oregon State Weed Board Grant Program and the Meyer Memorial Trust.

Pictured above is, Lily, our 2020 intern, with a healthy patch of wapato.
Earth Day Gratitude
Earth Day was April 22, and as a part of that, we at Willamette Riverkeeper celebrated for the entire month! Part of that celebration was a short fundraising campaign. We want to share a huge THANK YOU to our sponsors who supported us not only in April campaign, but do so throughout the year as both financial partners in our work and volunteer time on the ground!
During Earth Month:
  • Paddle People donated a canoe which will be raffled off on May 15.
  • Wyld donated product incentives for our Earth Month Donors.
  • Willamette Valley Alchemy launched a new product on 4/22 from which WR will receive $1/gram sold.
  • Alit Productions hosted The EarthFest – an online festival of music and wellness.
  • Sseko Designs hosted an online fundraiser with 25% of sales went to WR.
  • AND YOU! Thank you to all of you who donated during the month and helped to support our mission and work! 
How to Support Willamette Riverkeeper
  • Make a one-time donation or become a monthly donor!
  • Are you a business owner? Support Willamette Riverkeeper by becoming a sponsor today!
  • Make a donation of stock or Bitcoin.
  • Make Willamette Riverkeeper a beneficiary in your will or life insurance policy.
Contact Heather King for more information about how to offer long term support for Willamette Riverkeeper!