Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council

Mission Statement

Our mission is to enhance the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed through investigation, restoration, education and stewardship.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

INVESTIGATE WATERSHED CONDITION

• Coordinate with experts to conduct studies, collect data, and develop restoration strategies and designs necessary to improve watershed condition in the Coast Fork Willamette River basin.
• Establish & maintain a diverse Technical Committee to review Coast Fork-focused studies, monitoring results, project designs, and implementation outcomes.
• Conduct targeted water quality monitoring that answers priority questions about watershed condition.
• Conduct assessments and strategic action planning & prioritization of watershed conditions in priority subbasins.
• Monitor site-specific conditions prior to project implementation in order to document project success at a relevant spatial scale.
• Report on watershed conditions to foster best practices and well-informed decision making around watershed issues.

RESTORE WATERSHED FUNCTION

AQUATIC HABITAT

• Remove barriers to native fish accessing spawning habitat.
• Improve stream channel structure in priority streams to address limitations to spawning conditions.
• Connect rivers and streams to their floodplains and other rearing habitat.

TERRESTRIAL HABITAT

• Improve riparian corridors in width, extent, species composition, shade and wood deposition capability.
• Enhance wetlands, prairies, oak savannahs and other at-risk ecosystems for the benefit of native species.
• Strategically address high priority invasive species (knotweed, etc.)

WATER QUALITY

• Support policies and public resource allocation to protect water quality; assist in TMDL Implementation in the Coast Fork Watershed.
• Implement visible and educational restoration, monitoring, and stewardship projects that protect water quality.

EDUCATE & ACTIVATE THE WATERSHED COMMUNITY

• In partnership with local leaders, create educational, interpretative signage and displays at project sites and other public lands to foster watershed education, awareness and participation.
• Create a GIS database and produce relevant maps of watershed projects and features to document watershed information and project results necessary to gauge the outcomes of our efforts and to share robust technical information in an accessible way.
• Conduct and support watershed education programs and share educational resources that enrich students, citizens, agency partners, and landowners.
• Establish & maintain a diverse board of directors who use sustainable nonprofit business management practices and develop strategies that will support watershed preservation into perpetuity.
• Provide opportunities for the general public to be involved in watershed activities and topics (public meetings, work parties, other events).

STEWARD WATERSHED RESOURCES

• Provide and support watershed service opportunities to citizens and students at public lands restoration sites.
• Build a strong and cohesive volunteer base of individuals and partner organizations
• Create a restoration program that is fully supported in financial resources and appropriate technical skill that can provide meaningful student and community-engagement opportunities that teach while improving watershed resources.