MWMC Volunteer Day with McKenzie River Trust

Wastewater staff from Eugene and Springfield spent Thursday afternoon at Green Island, helping the McKenzie River Trust (MRT) remove invasive weeds from the conservation area. The MRT is a land trust that helps protect watersheds and habitats in the McKenzie Basin and a long-time partner of the MWMC. At Green Island, they are working to restore the natural diversity of the confluence and foster a variety of habitats. We had a great time helping MRT with their goal of a healthy river system!

MWMC Sustainable Poplar Used for Paneling in Springfield City Council Chamber

The MWMC has partnered with the City of Springfield for the redesign of the Springfield City Hall Council Chamber. Hybrid poplar from our sustainable Biocycle Farm was used to create the paneling for the new Council Chamber layout. Poplar has a wide array of uses, including as an accent or decorative wood. The boards were produced by Urban Lumber and 9Wood, and boards are on sale at BRING Recycling for use on your own projects!

Communications Team Helps Host PNCWA Comms Camp

The MWMC's communications team helped host this year's Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association Communications Camp at the end of October. Communicators from three different states traveled to Bend, Oregon for the one-day event to share knowledge and ideas on how to reach audiences with important information about our most precious resource: water. The MWMC's communicators helped give presentations, and the City of Bend gave everyone a tour of their facility, including the gorgeous views of the mountains around it.

It's the holiday season, and for many of us that means celebrations with family and food! When you're cooking those traditional dishes, make sure to collect the oil and grease and put it in the trash, not down the drain. Fat, oils, and grease (FOG) can cause clogs in your pipes and damage to the wastewater system's infrastructure! Celebrate safely, and put FOG where it belongs: the garbage.