Climate change, drought, deforestation, emerald ash borer, urban growth - these are just a few of the challenges facing our ecosystem now and into the future.
We don't know what the long-term impacts of these disturbances on the Tualatin River and our watershed will be. We do know that we have a responsibility to do all we can to ensure that these changes have as minimal an impact as possible on our beloved watershed.
Our region is facing a housing crisis, and it’s imperative that we all do our part. We will not, however, sacrifice watershed health in service to hasty urban planning. Tualatin Riverkeepers is continuing to monitor and comment on threats to the river and our watershed, such as King City’s proposed Fischer Road extension and Washington County’s Tile Flat Road connection. We’re also working with neighbors and advocates as Cooper Mountain's Urban Growth Boundary project is being planned near Cooper Mountain Nature Park. As growth continues in this part of the county, we will work with residents and local governments to advocate for and coordinate land acquisition to expand the park.
The Tualatin River provides drinking water to more than half a million people, making the health of the Coast Range, particularly Tillamook State Forest, critical for the future of our watershed. As the Oregon Department of Forestry continues to consider a Western Oregon State Forest Habitat Conservation Plan, we are committed to working with partner organizations to support a plan that is science-based and conservation-focused. Similarly, we will consistently monitor and report forest practices on public and private lands that are detrimental to watershed health and in opposition to the Clean Water Act.
Pint-Sized Science is our popular speaker series focusing on innovative science and natural climate solutions being used to improve watershed health. We thank our community partners for their expertise and our friends at Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District for their sponsorship of this series.
Volunteer-led restoration work is central to fulfilling our mission, and we continue to build partnerships with land managers throughout the watershed. Many of our restoration projects support previous advocacy work, such as the removal of Balm Grove Dam on Gales Creek. The dam, recently removed after years of advocacy, will allow species such as pacific lamprey to migrate upstream once again in Gales Creek. TRK volunteers will be working with our partners from Friends of Trees and Clean Water Services to plant native species and create habitat in the area around where the dam was removed. Get involved in our restoration and stewardship work!
The River Runners are a group of Tualatin Riverkeepers’ paddlers who serve as the eyes of the river. Each River Runner, or small group of River Runners, adopts a specific section of river. They paddle that section on a quarterly basis, gathering and reporting on threats to the health of the Tualatin – invasive species, agricultural runoff, pollution, and erosion concerns – and any potential navigability issues. If you are interested in becoming a River Runner volunteer, email us at info@tualatinriverkeepers.org.
