South Santiam Watershed Council Capacity_25-27

This project takes place within the South Santiam Watershed. Previous capacity grants have propelled the South Santiam Watershed council to emerge as a trusted leader and partner in restoration, collaboration, and co-production of services and community engagement in conservation. The South Santiam watershed is the source of clean drinking water for more than 85,000 residents of the mid-Willamette valley. Actions taken by the council protect and enhance source water areas, with added benefits to fish and wildlife, water quality, and recreation. The South Santiam watershed covers 1,040 square miles and is home to federally protected Chinook and steelhead; Pacific lamprey; cutthroat and rainbow trout; as well as many other species of native fish, amphibians, wildlife and pollinators who rely on healthy aquatic, riparian and upland habitats to thrive. Council support, leveraged with additional funding, will allow the council to pursue restoration and protection activities, and plan for the future with a strategic plan renewal.

The South Santiam Watershed Council (SSWC) works with willing landowners and land managers to provide aquatic and riparian habitat restoration. The SSWC engages in outreach, planning, funding, implementation, evaluation and monitoring on projects that include riparian and upland planting; noxious weed abatement; flow management; fish passage; instream habitat creation, and more. These types of projects are identified both in scientific research as well as in basin management plans, salmon recovery documents and SSWC-specific workplans as priority actions to protect and restore salmonids and their habitats.