A Thanksgiving Letter from our President

Happy Thanksgiving to the DERT community! 

This November, DERT is thankful for a number of things. Just a few days ago (on November 22), we hosted the first annual Deschutes Watershed Symposium at the Welcome House (also known as the Longhouse) on the campus of The Evergreen State College. Roughly 100 people attended to get updates in the morning from a variety of speakers on the work going on in the Watershed to maintain and improve conditions and habitat there. The morning speakers were from the Weyerhauser Corporation, the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, Oly Ecosystems, Thurston County, the Squaxin Tribe, the Port of Olympia, and DERT. All the speakers covered ongoing state of the art activities, as well as future work. The Port's Executive Director Alex Smith discussed the possibility of creating a Watershed District to fund and manage projects. DERT's presentation included a progress report on developing the long-desired Deschutes Watershed Council. In the afternoon we heard an update from the Department of Ecology, the Department of Enterprise Services, and their contractors on the continuing progress being made on the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project (DERP), which is nearing the 60% design threshold. All in all, a great day, with a high level of enthusiasm and support for all the activity dedicated to preserving and protecting the entire Deschutes Watershed. 

A month earlier, we had a fun and very successful fundraiser auction at Octapas Restaurant. This annual event provides great food and drink, entertainment (provided this year by the band Sway Cool), and quick updates on the work DERT is doing, along with an opportunity for attendees to continue financially supporting DERT. This year, we had around 75 people attend and raised over $10,000 via ticket sales, donations, and 40+ auction items. A big thank you to everyone who made this event so successful! 

Meanwhile, the state agencies have included DERT in discussions about how to move forward with the state's new management structure for DERP, and we expect to continue to advocate for community engagement and communication as part of that process. We are also engaged in the Department of Ecology's planned rule-making for the Deschutes Watershed (also known as WRIA 13), and are pushing the agency to include revisiting their existing rules to provide better protection for streamflows in the Deschutes River and its tributaries. 

We still have a long way to go before finally achieving DERT’s vision of a restored Deschutes River and Estuary, which we have been pushing for since 2009. But we have made significant progress this year and are looking forward to continue our work with the Squaxin Tribe, Ecology, DES, other organizations and entities, and the community at large to make the vision a reality. Please make sure to check updates on our website, deschutesestuary.org, and subscribe to our social media. 

Thank you again for your support, and Happy Thanksgiving! 

Dave Monthie

Board President

What we hope is the first of many, the Deschutes Watershed Symposiums was a great success last Saturday! With nearly 100 people in attendance, the day was met with enthusiasm from both the crowd and our presenters.

We have so many people to thank for pulling this one off, but we want to start with the presenters. Thank you for bringing your expertise, energy, and curiosity to the Watershed Symposium. The day was as compelling as it was because of each and every one of you! Your presentations helped create a grounded, science-driven picture of what’s happening across the watershed, and the attendees gave us incredibly positive feedback!

We would also like to thank our partners at the Washington State Departments of Ecology and Enterprise Services. Not only did they provide and coordinate the facilities for the day, but they also provided a very important update on the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project. We look forward to continued partnership with them as we work together to realize a fully restored Deschutes Estuary.

Lastly, if you didn't make it out on Saturday and are still interested in the info that was shared, keep an eye on our website! We are working with our presenters to upload their slides to the site so this important information is accessible to everyone.

You can also help us spread the word about this fundraiser across your social media, like or share our Giving Tuesday posts, or talk with friends and family! Your support, generosity, and kindness are greatly appreciated.

Coming Soon:

An Updated Deschutes Watershed Guide!

DERT is excited to announce that a refreshed Deschutes Watershed Guide is in the works for 2026! Building on the beloved 2016 edition, this updated guide will highlight the unique ecology, history, and stewardship efforts within the Deschutes River Watershed. It will serve as both an educational resource and an invitation to explore and protect our shared home in new ways.

Do you have watershed news to share?

Send it to us at

 info@deschutesestuary.org

Check out our new website!

We have been making several updates to our online presence in recent weeks. You can now find regular updates from DERT at our new and improved website.