Willamette River Restoration Efforts win 2012 Thiess International Riverprize

The Willamette River has won the Thiess International Riverprize, an annual award given by the International River Foundation based in Brisbane, Australia. Riverprize recognizes outstanding, visionary and sustainable programs in river basin management and is the most prestigious environmental prize in the world. Meyer Memorial Trust entered the competition on behalf of the many groups…
Read more

Indian Pipe

Indian Pipe is a Parasitic Plant of Trees and Fungus

On a recent hike along Pamilia Creek, I came across this clump of Indian Pipe growing under a dense stand of large Douglas fir.  It caught my eye, because even though it’s a herbaceous plant, it looks more like a fungus. In fact, I always assumed Indian Pipe, like many fungi, lived off of the…
Read more

North Santian River Report

North Santiam River Report, October 1, 2012

[box type=”alert” size=”large” style=”rounded”]The boat ramp at Shelburn is a little difficult to pull into from upstream because of two large branches sticking out in the waves just above the ramp. It is possible to see the branches from upstream and to row around them, toward the middle of the river, and then to cut…
Read more

Devil's Club

Devil’s Club Decorates Old Growth Forests in Late Summer

Devil’s club or devil’s walking stick is a large shrub native to the cool moist conifer forests.  It is found from  Alaska to western Oregon and eastward to western Alberta and Montana. This native shrub always catches my eye in the late summer.  Those clusters of showy red berries remind me of Christmas.   I’ve…
Read more

North Santian River Report

North Santiam River Report for September 12, 2012

Watching salmon spawn is not necessarily voyeurism. Scientifically, it is an interesting process and if we understand it we are able to help the salmon be more successful with their reproduction and also to be more successful with our fishing techniques. Some of the salmon started spawning the last week of August and the first…
Read more

Developing a Forest Stewardship Process in the Watershed: First Steps

Liz Redon from the North Santiam Watershed Council and US Forest Service staff from the Willamette National Forest spent the day last Friday, September 7th, with specially selected forest products industry experts to help develop a new small diameter timber and special forest products stewardship program. The purpose of the work group was to explore…
Read more

North Santian River Report

Fishing Conditions on the North Santiam, August 23, 2012

River flows volumes are excellent right now , currently around 1,160 cfs at Mehama on the North Fork with good visibility.  Conditions are expected to stay at these levels for the next week.  Most of the salmon and steelhead have moved into the upper river.  Based on video monitoring at Bennett dam near Stayton, approximately…
Read more

North Santiam River at Niagara

North Santiam River Report August 13, 2012

The weather has been great, and is likely to continue. Water temperature is in the mid-fifties both going into and coming out of Detroit Lake. Niagara water has been between 56 and 59 degrees, tolerable for steelhead and salmon. Water temperature at Green’s Bridge has been between 64 and 71, much too warm for sporting…
Read more

Six Good Reasons to Plant Trees Beside a Stream

  The strip of land beside your stream is a great place to plant trees.  First of all, the 20 feet or so directly beside the stream probably isn’t practical to use for most other purposes.  Second, the banks are too steep.  Third, there will probably be seasonal flooding.  Besides, a forested buffer zone along…
Read more

Departmant of Fish and Wildlife Commission Discuss Governor’s Proposal to Restrict Gillnetting

Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife Commission will discuss Governor John Kitzhaber’s new proposal to limit Columbia River gill netters on August 14th at 2 p.m.  No public comments will be taken, but ODFW has a live audio stream so you can listen over the Web.

North Santiam Watershed Council

ODFW Fish Migration Report July 25, 2012

  Based on video monitoring at Bennett dam near Stayton, approximately 3,000 summer steelhead and 3,000 spring chinook have moved into the North Santiam River system. Spring chinook hatchery brood collection has started at Upper Bennett dam and will continue through the end of July. Many fish including all summer steelhead, are being passed above…
Read more

Find out where hatchery trout are released in the North Santiam Watershed

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stocks hatchery reared trout at many locations in the North Santiam Canyon. Click on any of the fish icons shown on the following map to learn a little more about the locations that receive hatchery trout. View ODFW trout stocking sites in a larger map