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Willamette

A compilation of presentations and resources from the 2020 State of the Willamette workshop for Willamette Basin restoration partners to share perspectives on the current state of river restoration practice, science, funding, and ways to improve restoration outcomes from local to regional scales.

This is the first in a series of posts by guest blogger Lauren Pharr, an ornithologist and science communicator, who will be sharing her knowledge, experience, and thoughts with us over the next year as we continue to “Garden for the Birds!”  As a fellow nature enthusiast and wildlife biologist, it is important for me

It was going to be a scorcher… 97 degrees was the predicted high for the Willamette Valley on that mid-June day. Fortunately for Benton SWCD’s Laura Brown and Charity Mundava (a Vera Theiss Fellow with the International River Foundation who had flown in from Australia the day before!) they would be taking Benton SWCD’s brand

When Scott Youngblood comes into the room, he doesn’t just bring a wealth of knowledge and a Southern drawl, he brings a contagious enthusiasm for conservation and restoration and an unparalleled love for the Willamette River.

Wapato Harvesting for Planting at Collins Bay   On a dry day in late summer, Benton SWCD’s Holly Crosson and Melissa Lemein along with myself, an OSU student volunteer, went to local landowner Marvin Gilmour’s farm to harvest wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) tubers for future planting at Collins Bay. Collins Bay is a side-channel of the

All of us at Benton SWCD would like to say a big Thank You to Marvin Gilmour, who has been the Zone 2 Director of the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for the past four years! Marvin will be stepping off of the Benton SWCD Board at the end of December, but he

The Willamette River Report Card gives the river an overall passing grade of B- and section grades of B for the upper Willamette (Eugene to Albany), B for the middle Willamette (Albany to Newberg), and C+ for the lower Willamette (Newberg to the Columbia River). Here in Benton County we are part of the upper

Whether you live on a farm or in a city, your actions make a difference to the health of the river and nearby streams. Protect Streamside Vegetation Keep existing streamside vegetation to improve water quality and provide habitat. Remove weeds and plant native vegetation in their place. Plant streamside vegetation where it is bare. Prevent

Goats are helping the City of Albany tackle invasive English ivy.

Volunteers paddled the Willamette River with one goal in mind: remove invasive water primrose!

Learn to identify 12 pernicious plants that threaten our waterways.

The first project of the Willamette Mainstem Cooperative (WMC) was a two-year survey of plants and habitat. Dick Brainerd summed up the findings in a report that is being used as a management tool. This post summarizes the report’s findings.