North Santiam Watershed Council April 2010 eUpdate

Greetings from the North Santiam Watershed Council! This spring is a very busy time, and below you will find plenty of Watershed News and Upcoming Events. Please note that our next council meeting is on Thursday, April 8^th at 7PM.

In this issue:

New Projects!

Volunteer Water Quality Monitors Wanted—Training April 6^th

April 8^th Council Meeting

Snake Deford Community Meeting April 21^st

April 23^rd North Santiam Shopping Day at Lifesource

Oregon Ag-Fest

Residents Invited to Share Vision for the Region: April 29^th & May 3

North Fork Clean Up May 8^th

Marion County SWCD Landowner Assistance Program Grants

Learn the River Trips—Revised 2010 Schedule

Regional Fundraiser June 11^th

Birding Trail Guide Available   

Please contact council@ nsantiamwatershed.org for more information regarding any of the events.

New Projects!

Two new OWEB grants were awarded for work within the North Santiam Watershed: the Stout Creek Restoration and the USFS Upper North Santiam Restoration. Stay tuned for more news as these projects develop!

Volunteer Water Quality Monitors Wanted—Training April 6^th

Willamette Riverkeeper’s volunteer water quality monitoring program has five monitoring sites on the Willamette, Santiam, and Luckiamute rivers (our Santiam site is at the Jefferson Hwy bridge). Volunteers monitor them each month for temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity. The program is currently looking for new volunteer monitors in the Salem area and will be holding a training on April 6, 2010, at the Salem Public Library from 6-8 pm. Information is available at, or potential volunteers can contact Julia DeGagné to register for the training (julia@ willamette-riverkeeper.org).

April 8^th Council Meeting

We have two speakers for our upcoming April 8^th meeting: Marion SWCD on the Noxious Weed Inventory and the Army Corps will provide an update on the Minto fish collection construction project. All are welcome: 7pm, Stayton Community Room.

Snake Deford Community Meeting April 21^st

Residents of the Snake and Deford basins and neighborhood are invited to join council members and the River Design Group to discuss stream survey results and future restoration projects. Mill City Middle School multi-purpose room, 7-8:30 PM.

April 23^rd North Santiam Shopping Day at Lifesource Natural Foods

In celebration of Earth Day, Lifesource Natural Foods store will be donating money to the North Santiam Watershed Council based on the profits for the day. The Council will have an informational table set up, so stop by and shop at Lifesource on 2649 Commercial St SE, Salem, 503-361-7973. 

Oregon Ag-Fest

Oregon Ag Fest is an annual 2-Day event where you can touch, taste, and experience life on the farm. April 24 - 25, 2010, Oregon State Fairgrounds, Salem.

Residents Invited to Share Vision for the Region: April 29^th & May 3

Working for thriving local rural communities and healthy ecosystems is the goal of the Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation & Development (CPRCD) Strategic Planning process. CPRCD works at the grassroots level with citizens and organizations of local communities to develop innovative and needed local projects. These projects focus on creating and maintaining rural jobs, improving water quality and quantity, supporting efficient and renewable energy, promoting a sustainable local food system, and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. Area residents interested in sharing their perspective can contact RC&D Coordinator Karen Strohmeyer at 541-967-5925 ext. 128, or attend public meetings for Linn County (April 29, 6:30 to 8:00 PM, Linn County Fairgrounds, Albany) and Marion County (May 3, 7:00 to 8:30 PM, Senate hearing room, Courthouse Square, 555 Court Street NE, Salem).

North Fork Clean Up May 8^th

Please join the Council and multiple sponsoring partners for the annual North Fork Clean up event, which will take place Saturday May 8. Meet at ODF parking lot at the intersection of Highway 22 and North Fork Road at 9 AM and stay for lunch through 12 noon. Volunteers will be picking up trash and pulling weeds along the North Fork Road. Visit the NSWC web page for more information.

May 13^th Watershed Council Meeting

All are welcome to our monthly watershed council meeting. This month’s guest speaker is Glenn Dolphin from the Oregon Marine Board to talk about the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program. 7pm in the Stayton Community Room.

Marion County SWCD Landowner Assistance Program Grants

Grant applications for the Marion County SWCD Landowner Assistance Program due May 14, 2010 by 1 PM.

Learn the River Trips—Revised 2010 Schedule

Stayton to Green’s Bridge, May 1, 2010

Mehama to Stayton, June 5, 2010

Fishermen’s Bend to Mehama, June 26, 2010

Packsaddle to Fishermen’s Bend, July 10, 2010

Regional Fundraiser June 11^th

The North Santiam Watershed Council will join the Calapooia and South Santiam Watershed Councils at a joint regional fundraising event hosted by the Calapooia Brewing Company in Albany. Please mark your calendars for this fun event with residents from your neighbor watersheds!

Birding Trail Guide Available  

The Willamette Valley Birding Trail Guide is now available in paper form. The 51-page Guide includes extensive maps and self-guided adventures for birdwatchers traveling by car, bicycle or public transit. Illustrated with beautiful photos of Willamette Valley birds, the Guide highlights 138 birding hotspots from the northern tip of Oregon to south of Cottage Grove. To receive a copy of the Willamette Valley Birding Trail Guide, contact Debbra at 541-967-5925 x102 or debbra@cascadepacific.org. The Guide is also available online at www.willamettebirding.org.