Habitat Restoration Program

Over the past 150 years, the Willamette River has lost a tremendous amount of habitat. This has resulted from the conversion of land to agricultural and urban uses, and the introduction of dams in the Willamette system. Floodplains, braided channels and riparian areas are three components of the river system that have been impacted. They are important in the work of habitat restoration along the Willamette.

Braided Channels

Over time the multiple channels that once existed along the river have been dewatered. Typically the upriver sections of these channels were separated from the main river by earthen, wood and rock walls. The series of braided channels (imagine multiple parallel channels alongside the main stem), are critical to providing resting and spawning areas for salmon, and support a wide range of other aquatic species. Today there is a critical need to restore some of this channel complexity.

Riparian Areas

A significant amount of riparian, or “riverside” vegetation has been lost. Today this results in less thickly vegetated and shady areas for fish and other wildlife. Such areas can provide critical cool water that aids native fish. Healthy riparian areas can also provide key buffers that can slow the flow and filter pollutants from runoff into the river system.

Working Along the River

There is a need to better coordinate restoration efforts on the ground among a host of agencies, watershed councils, and non profits to ensure that resources are being properly directed and progress is being made.

Further, there is a need to collect and share information about what areas need restoration, and how these areas are being approached by various parties. This coordination is critical given the fact that the majority of property in the lowland areas of the Willamette Basin are owned by private parties, and these are the areas that need restoration most.

It will be critical to direct resources to the areas that can best benefit river health, and have the best opportunity to succeed with private landowners. Willamette Riverkeepeer actively works for restoration projects on the ground, and at the policy level.

Willamette Riverkeeper’s Restoration Work

• We work to institute the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program that provides critical resources and funding to enable private landowners to replant riparian areas. WRK has been pushing since 2001 to improve the state of the CREP program in Oregon. Today there is increased emphasis on this program, with successful projects being implemented.

• We work to catalog restoration opportunities from the river, along the mainstem Willamette, and along key tributaries. We visually inspect areas that lack riparian vegetation, photograph them, and chart their coordinates. This work then enables us to identify land owners and to develop ties with these potential restoration partners.

• WRK also conducts outreach with landowners to seek out opportunities to develop restoration projects on private lands. This kind of effort is critical and must be as efficient as possible in order to not waste the time of hard working agricultural producers, and other private landowners.

• WRK works with the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the Oregon Department of Agriculture to better coordinate their outreach efforts, and to partner where possible.

• We also work with Watershed Councils, NGO’s, Cities, Counties, and other non-profits to share information and coordinate efforts. This will be critical in the years ahead to make the best use of scarce restoration resources.