Rallying the Fellowship: Plan for Your Land in the Middle Willamette

The North Santiam (NSWC), Luckiamute (LWC), Marys River (MRWC), Calapooia (CWC), and South Santiam (SSWC) watershed councils, representing the Mid-Valley River Connections (MVRC) collaborative, seek Engagement Grant funding to advance project development to support restoration implementation across the five MVRC basins. Spanning parts of Benton, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, and Polk Counties, these councils’ service areas cover over 30 percent of the Willamette basin. The MVRC councils have decades of conservation experience and have completed assessments, invasive weed surveys and action plans to guide strategic on-the ground activities such as weed control, riparian revegetation, livestock exclusion fencing and large wood placements.

Building off of the successful NSWC and SSWC Phase 1 Plan for Your Land Workshop series, MVRC proposes to expand this strategic outreach campaign with assistance from their regional partners by offering two five-part land conservation training workshops. MVRC will work with those who are already enrolled in restoration programs to reach out to neighbors in the community and invite them to participate in the workshops. Over the course of the trainings, participants will learn to inventory natural resources on their property, identify resource issues, learn about programs available to assist with those issues and with Council guidance take the next step of conservation implementation. The goal will be to assist in developing at least 4 conservation plans per basin for each session, a total of 40 plans. From these plans, we seek to develop and implement a minimum of 12 restoration projects over 6 years, totalling 10 miles of restored stream and 120 acres of restored riparian and wetland habitats. Project partners include staff from Marion & Linn SWCD, OSU Extension, Oregon Department of Agriculture and private land managers. Grant funds will be used for staff time, contracted services, mileage and training supplies and materials.

This expanded outreach program will provide substantial benefits to salmon populations, particularly in the following ways:

1. Improved Water Quality: By supporting landowners in identifying and addressing resource issues, such as sediment runoff, nutrient pollution, and erosion, the program helps improve water quality in local streams and rivers. Clean, clear water is essential for salmon at all life stages.

2. Restored Riparian and Wetland Habitats: The plan’s focus on riparian and wetland habitat restoration is critical for salmon, as these areas provide shade, stabilize banks, and reduce water temperatures, resulting in healthier aquatic environments. Riparian vegetation also supplies food sources for salmon and other aquatic species by supporting insects and other organisms.

3. Enhanced Habitat Connectivity: Restoring 10 miles of streams and 120 acres of surrounding habitat creates corridors for salmon migration, spawning, and rearing. Enhanced connectivity helps juvenile salmon navigate more easily between rearing and spawning areas, which is essential for their growth and survival. It also creates larger reaches of improved habitat for adult migration, which may reduce the risk of prespawn mortality.

4. Community Involvement in Conservation: Engaging landowners and their neighbors increases awareness and support for salmon conservation. Landowners who participate in this program will be prepared to make informed decisions on land practices, contributing to a broader landscape-scale impact on water quality and habitat health that benefits salmon populations long-term.

5. Long-Term Conservation Planning: By developing 40 conservation plans and implementing a minimum of 12 restoration projects, the program creates a sustainable conservation infrastructure in the watershed. This consistent support for habitat and water quality improvements leads to more resilient salmon populations over time.

In summary, this initiative provides direct improvements to critical salmon habitats, ensures cleaner water, and fosters a community invested in conservation, all of which are essential for supporting and enhancing salmon populations and salmon recovery. Watershed Councils will record the workshop sessions and will have archived materials for each session of each series, which will be shared online or as requested for future education opportunities for landowners in each respective basin as well as for other partners who would like to partake in this focused outreach and engagement of restoration. Both North Santiam WC and South Santiam WC have materials and past recording for Plan For Your Land workshop series which took place in 2020 and 2021. These outreach documents and materials, media/recordings and workshop structure will be used as a starting point for the participating watershed councils to tailor, update and/or modify as needed for this engagement project which will, together, encompass the ~30% of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Even though specific landowners have not been contacted for the project at this time, there are focused/priority areas of each watershed council.