Hello River Friends -
Happy Fall! I hope this new season is going as well as can be for you. This time of year brings cooler temperatures, here and there golden leaves, and fewer people along the river. If you take a few minutes to walk along the river anywhere in the valley, or have the opportunity to get on the water, there can be a sense of peace and beauty that is pretty remarkable.
In addition to our work to protect the river’s water quality and essential habitat, recently I’ve been thinking more about noise. In our society it has become commonplace to make an abundant amount of noise - from cars and trucks crisscrossing the landscape, to farm equipment, airplanes, and boats.
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On any given summer day, as boats, jet skis, and other craft ply the Willamette, it is not hard to wonder how those sounds waves travel - especially with crafts that have modified exhaust or muffler systems. How far does the sound penetrate into the water column and into the river bottom? While the Willamette courses through the most populous part of Oregon, thankfully there are some places that still retain a kind of buffer against noise - where the sounds of water, birds, and the wind predominate. Unfortunately, in my experience over the past 21 years, sound intrusion has become more frequent.
Take the few fan boats that run the river - yes the type used on the Everglades in Florida. They are akin to a 747 flying screaming by just over the treetops. Take the two stroke jet skis used for competition, which are basically unregulated along the river - with their tricked out exhaust systems sending sound waves miles inland, and can be heard in people’s homes with the windows closed. Another new twist are event spaces popping up in rural areas that result in loud festive music along scenic areas of the Greenway, basically polluting the natural landscape with noise for a party or related event. Of course the whirr of irrigation equipment can ruin a good campsite, just as farm machinery in some areas that can drone on all night. While these things may seem trivial to some, they really are not. Even in a valley rich with cities large and small, the places in between deserve some relief from the noise of people, and our machines of all types.
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Our recent 187 Miles of Wonder trip brought this issue home. While how sound travels, and the degree to which we hear it, can be affected by wind, barometric pressure, background noise, vegetation and topography, it was clear to me that being on a sweet island miles upstream of Corvallis was no guarantee of peace and quiet on an early Fall morning.
This may well be one more reason to establish thoughtful rules in regard to noise that balance the use of public spaces, the use of the land near public spaces, and individual rights. This has long been a disregarded point in regard to the public lands along the Willamette. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the Willamette is not
the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. All the same, our wild places and natural
riverscapes deserve respect.
On a related note, see the mention below of our establishing a new Willamette Riverkeeper Endowment at the Oregon Community Foundation and the related matching opportunity. We can use YOUR help to make this a reality and grow it for the long-term health of Willamette Riverkeeper. As we celebrate our 25th year of improving the Willamette’s water quality and habitat, it is a fitting time to take this step.
As always, thanks to all of you for ongoing support. It is much appreciated.
Travis Williams
Riverkeeper & Executive Director
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13th Annual Great Willamette Cleanup |
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Over the past 19 months, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Willamette River and many other places in our great outdoors have experienced record usage in terms of visitors and recreation. Unfortunately, this has lead to a lot of trash and debris left behind.
Your river needs YOU now more than ever!
Sign up and volunteer with us at one, or more, of the 22 events in our Great Willamette Cleanup series! We will be working in smaller than usual groups in order to protect ourselves, as well as adhere to any updated Covid guidelines while we improve your Willamette River.
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Join Willamette Riverkeeper, Friends of Trees and Portland Parks and Recreation on Wednesday, October 27 for a Discovery Paddle and tree talk on Ross Island in Portland!
Space is limited, sign up to join the fun here!
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Mark your calendar for our Wild and Scenic Film Festival, which will happen virtually on Thursday, December 9. We will be partnering with restaurants in Portland, Corvallis and Eugene so that you can enjoy dinner and movies from the comfort of your home. And once again, we will have a fantastic raffle with great prizes from Wild Roots Spirits, REI, local kayak and canoe rentals, Wyld and MANY MORE AMAZING PARTNERS.
Tickets will go on sale soon, stay tuned!
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Meet Vanessa: Restoration Associate |
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We are excited to introduce the newest member of the Willamette Riverkeeper team, Vanessa!
Oregon has been home for Vanessa for the past 20 years and the Willamette River has always held a huge place in her heart. Vanessa lives and breathes the Willamette; whether its paddling, rock hounding, exploring its tributaries, or identifying all the plants that exist in the riparian corridors.
She has an immense passion and appreciation for our native plants and understands how integral they are in our ecosystems. She recognizes that native plants are the bones of riparian restoration and watershed management and are crucial for things like food and shelter for our beavers, or habitat for our salmon. She is excited to work to restore our river and to educate people that the Willamette River is more than just water running through. The Willamette River watershed is the vegetation, wildlife, the urbanization, and the complex communities that provide us all sustenance and life.
Be sure to give her a wave when you see her on the river!
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For the second year in a row, Willamette Riverkeeper set out on the river to paddle, raise awareness and educate our amazing supporters! Travis and Heather spent 4 days covering the 50 mile trip from Eugene to Albany.
During their time on the water, they were able to identify a significant illegal activity at a public site, check in on Willamette Water Trail sites (including Willamette Riverkeeper properties), and they were able to explore some areas that were seldom visited by anyone. Along the way, they were able to share some of this with you through Facebook and Instagram live stories, photographs and posts. The hope is that during that time you were able to experience what a trip on the Willamette Water Trail can be like and that the 187 Miles of Wonder journey encouraged you to plan one of your own!
Along with awareness, they also worked to raise money for Willamette Riverkeeper! $10,100 has been raised of our $25,000 ...so we have decided to extend the deadline for this campaign to October 15th.
Please consider making a donation and supporting the work and mission of Willamette Riverkeeper today (and, in the process, earn some cool incentives)! Contact Heather if you have any questions or would like to make a donation through your IRA or a gift of cryptocurrency!
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2020 Forest Fires – The Fight Stop Reckless Post-Fire Logging Continues
Willamette Riverkeeper is now involved in three lawsuits across the Basin to hold state and federal agencies accountable for reckless post-fire logging practices. Post-fire logging across thousands of acres throughout the watershed will have irreparable consequences for wildlife, forest waters, and drinking water for downstream communities. In two of the lawsuits, the federal agencies are using Trump Administration Categorical Exclusion, arguing that extensive post-fire salvage logging is “only” road maintenance and repair. Yes, that’s right, USFS and BLM are trying to exempt logging the McKenzie and Santiam areas after devastating fires from any environmental review by characterizing their actions as “maintenance and repair.” You can support our legal team’s efforts to push back here.
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Urban Renewal Project on the Willamette River Ignores Protecting Wildlife & Water Quality
For decades, the City of Springfield has invested resources in evaluating how to redevelop one of the last urban acreages on the Willamette River. In August 2021, the City issued a Request for Qualifications to prospective developers, which ignores wildlife and stormwater protection. City suggestions for the site’s use are not a small undertaking – they potentially include a 12 story hotel, a 55,000 square foot event center and an 800 vehicle parking structure… all likely adjacent to a new baseball stadium and a soccer stadium. Willamette Riverkeeper is pushing the City to take our concerns seriously. Our letters can be viewed here, and you can support our efforts here.
Zenith Oil-By-Rail
On September 20, Willamette Riverkeeper, along with Columbia Riverkeeper, filed a Motion to Intervene in support of the City of Portland's Bureau of Development Services at the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). This intervention will support the City’s effort to defend its August 27, 2021, decision to deny a Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) to Zenith’s oil-by-rail storage and transfer facility as inconsistent with the City’s comprehensive plan policies focused on climate, equity, pollution, and seismic hazards.
Putting profit over people, Zenith appealed the City’s LUCS denial to LUBA. Despite the City standing up for climate and community values, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) subsequently issuing a proposed denial of Zenith’s Title V air pollution permit, Zenith refuses to accept any outcome where it does not get exactly what it wants.
We will be sure to keep you updated as all of these progress.
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As mentioned previously Willamette Riverkeeper is establishing an endowed fund at the Oregon Community Foundation to help preserve and restore our conservation properties, and to support our work for the long haul. Thanks to a generous anonymous couple, we have a $10,000 match for our new fund! If we raise an additional $20,000 we can make the match resulting in $30,000 toward our new fund.
Over the past few years Willamette Riverkeeper acquired three properties along the Willamette, and we may acquire additional property. Further, as we celebrate our 25th year, such a fund will also directly support our overall work for the long term. You all have made a big difference in our ability to make gains for the river, and this is another way to sustain this important work. Thank you!
Your donations to the Willamette Riverkeeper Stewardship Fund will be matched 1:1 up to $10,000!
If you are interested in contributing to the Willamette Stewardship Fund, feel free to get in touch with Travis or Heather.
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Paddle. Camp. Repeat. Tees! Our newest t-shirt design is now available for just $25! These tri-blend tees come in a women's or men's fit, with the option of blue or gray. Purchase yours today!
Maps! We have a limited supply of Willamette River maps. You can purchase digital copies on the Willamette Water Trail website, as well as paper copies (waterproof of course) of the Upper and Lower Willamette River.
Willamette Water Trail Patches, we're selling them for just $5!
Coffee! Named for the 187 miles of the Willamette River, Pastor John's Blessed Beans, Roast #187 is available for purchase - 2lbs. for just $35.
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Support Willamette Riverkeeper |
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