taking stock and scaling up for a healthier...

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DECEMBER 11-12, 2014Oregon State University

CH2M Hill Alumni Center

Taking stock and scaling up for a healthier Willamette

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Welcome

Welcome to Within Our Reach 2014: Taking Stock and Scaling Up for a Healthier Willamette.

Our goals for this year’s conference are similar to those of previous Within Our Reach gatherings - to provide an opportunity for joint learning and information sharing, to discuss the rewards and chal-lenges associated with the work of improving the health of a large and complex river system, and to strengthen the ties among the many people and organizations that are part of “Team Willamette.”

What’s different this year is the way the program evolved. Last spring, the conference planning committee issued a call for poster and pre-sentation concepts, and you responded with enthusiasm. The result is an especially relevant program, with presentations and posters on a diverse range of topics including emerging science, restoration case studies, and “how-to” sessions on everything from building better partnerships to reaching new audiences.

We have come a long way in the six years since the Meyer Memorial Trust and OWEB launched a joint funding program focused on the Willamette River. It’s time to take a deep breath, celebrate our suc-cesses, learn from our mistakes, and actively ponder how to take the work to the next level. We are gratified that Within Our Reach is known as a place where important questions are asked and “active pondering” is both welcome and expected.

Thank you for embracing the idea of a big Willamette gathering from the beginning, and, this year, for making it your own. We hope you enjoy the conference.

Sincerely,PaM WILEy Director, MMT Willamette River Initiative

Conference Planning TeamRick Bastasch, Consultant | Ken Bierly, Consultant

Stan Gregory, Oregon State UniversityEric Hartstein, South Santiam Watershed Council

Wendy Hudson, Oregon Watershed Enhancement BoardDave Hulse, University of Oregon | Eric Jones, Meyer Memorial TrustGayle Killam, River Network | Jessica McDonald, Greenbelt Land Trust

Kendra Smith, Bonneville Environmental FoundationCristina Watson, Meyer Memorial Trust | Eric Wold, City of Eugene

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Venue Map

RegistrationCascade Ballroom

Willamette A

Willamette B

TrystingTree

Elle / Burlingham

AgProduction

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At-A-Glance | December 11

7:30am Registration Open | Lobby/FoyerContinental Breakfast | Cascade Ballroom

8:30am Welcome address | Cascade Ballroom

9:00amPlenary

Willamette River Values and Beliefs: Taking Stock of Public Opinion | Cascade Ballroom

10:00amPlenary

Grading the Willamette: Taking Stock of Our River’s Health | Cascade Ballroom

10:45am Break

11:00am

Breakout Sessions

Decision Support Tools | Ag Production

Underrepresented Communities’ Role | Trysting Tree

Strategies for Weed Control | Elle / Burlingham

Willamette FIP action Planning | Willamette A

Engaging Landowners | Willamette B

12:15pm Lunch | Cascade Ballroom

1:15pmPlenary Willamette Science Update | Cascade Ballroom

2:30pm Break

2:45pm

Breakout Sessions

Using Fish Data in Restoration | Ag Production

Collaborative Conservation | Elle / Burlingham

a Network for the Willamette? | Willamette A

Large-scale Project Case Studies | Trysting Tree

Connecting People and the River | Willamette B

4:00pmPlenary Poster Ignite Session | Cascade Ballroom

4:45pm Project Fair & Reception | Lobby/Foyer

7:00pm Dine-arounds

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At-A-Glance | December 12

THAnkS TO OUR EVEnT PARTnERS:

7:30am Registration Open | Lobby/FoyerBreakfast | Cascade Ballroom

9:00am announcements & Introduction | Cascade Ballroom

9:15amKeynote

Hervé Piégay | Pragmatic river restoration in a human-dominated landscape | Cascade Ballroom

10:15am Break

10:30am

Breakout Sessions

Reconnecting the River and its Floodplain: How-To Workshop | Willamette ARiparian Restoration on ag Lands | Willamette BThe River as a Reliable Source of Drinking Water | Trysting Tree

Fish in the City | Elle / Burlingham

P’s in a Pod | Ag Production

12:00pm Lunch | Cascade Ballroom1:00pmPlenary

Tackling the Challenge of Scale: Three Regional Perspectives | Cascade Ballroom

2:00pmKeynote Emma Marris | Cascade Ballroom

2:45pm Final Remarks & adjourn

Color Guide

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Pantone DS 73-1C

Pantone DS 294-2C

PANTONE (Print):

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C=40, M=0, Y=80, K=0

C=0, M=100, Y=100, K=0

CMYK (Print):

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R=163, G=207, B=98

R=237, G=28, B=36

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keynotes

Hervé Piégay Dr. Hervé Piégay is Research Director at the National Center for Scientific Research in Lyon, France, where his focus is fluvial geomorphology. a strong proponent of improving the integration of science and practice, he supports numerous

organizations with knowledge and tools for river management, planning and restoration. He also coordinates research groups working on river restoration in the Rhône and Rhine basins, including an international team working on restoring dynamism to the Rhine. Since 2010, Dr. Piégay has been in charge of the Rhône Observatory of Human and Environment Interactions, where he has developed strong partnerships with many of the stakeholders involved on the river. His articles have appeared in numerous publications and he has co-edited several books, including Tools in Fluvial Geomorphology (2003), Gravel-Bed Rivers 6: From Process Understanding To River Restoration (2007); and Fluvial Remote Sensing For Science and Management (2012).

Emma MarrisEmma Marris is a freelance environmental writer. She has written for many magazines and newspapers, including Grist, Discover, the New york Times and Slate. She has a Master’s in Science Writing from Johns

Hopkins University and worked for many years as a reporter for the journal Nature. In 2011, she published her first book, Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World. She grew up in Seattle, Washington, and lives with her husband and two children in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Her favorite tree is the Douglas-fir.

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Pam Wiley | Pam Wiley has managed the Meyer Memorial Trust’s Willamette River Initiative since 2009. She previously worked for the Department of State Lands, The Nature Conservancy, Sustainable Northwest, and as an independent consultant in Oregon. In her pre-Oregon

days, Pam held executive and program management positions with the State of Wisconsin and the Council of Great Lakes Governors. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Doug Stamm | Doug Stamm is Chief Executive Officer of Meyer Memorial Trust, one of the largest private foundations in the Pacific Northwest, with assets of nearly $800 million and annual giving in excess of $38 million. a native Oregonian, Doug has overseen

administrative and fiscal responsibilities at MMT since joining the foundation in 2002. While most of the Trust’s grantmaking has historically been responsive and for general purposes, during Doug’s tenure the organization has turned to less traditional tools to invest the corpus in ways that leverage the full weight of the Trust’s assets for the greater good, including a robust mission-related investment program that furthers MMT’s mission.

John Horvick | John is the Vice President and Director of Research for DHM Research. He has over 10 years experience analyzing public perceptions of natural resources and water resource management and has managed projects for the Regional Coalition of Clean Rivers and Streams,

Northwest River Partners, OPB’s EarthFix, Oregon Forest Resources Institute, and Clean Water Services. He has presented at Oregon association of Clean Water agencies(ORaWCa),

Featured Speakers

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the Port of Portland, PacifiCorp, Energy Trust of Oregon, and Oregon Public Broadcasting. John graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2000. He previously was a project director at the University of Nebraska Bureau of Sociological Research and Oregon Health and Science University. In the past, he has served as the President Elect of the City Club of Portland, served on its Board of Governors and chaired its research board.

Heath kelsey | Heath Kelsey is Program Director for the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Integration and application Network (UMCES IaN) in Cambridge, Maryland. Heath’s work applies and communicates science through facilitated collaborations

between scientists, managers, and stakeholders. He has developed integrated assessments, ecosystem health report cards, and science communication products for the Chesapeake Bay, australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Maryland’s Coastal Bays, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and numerous local tidal and non-tidal aquatic systems. Ongoing projects include assessments for coastal India with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Mississippi River with The Nature Conservancy, the South atlantic region of the US with the South atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, and NOaa’s Coral Reef Monitoring Program. Dr. Kelsey earned his MSPH (2000) and PhD (2006) in Environmental Health Sciences at the arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.

Meta Loftsgaarden | Meta Loftsgaarden is the Executive Director of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, where she previously served as deputy director and board member representing USDa’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Throughout her career, Meta has

worked in fields that support her passion for local economies, communities and resource conservation. She worked for NRCS on partnership and policy issues in both Oregon and Montana. She ran the Montana Department of agriculture’s

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Marketing and Business Development Bureau, finding markets for Montana’s value-added agricultural products. She promoted rural economic and natural resource policies as deputy communications director for Montana’s Governor and communications coordinator for the Montana Stockgrowers association. Meta has a Master’s in Public administration from Portland State University and a Bachelor’s in agriculture Extension from Montana State University.

Rose Wallick | Rose Wallick is a hydrologist and geomorphologist who joined the U.S. Geological Survey’s Oregon Water Science Center in 2007. Her research draws upon geomorphic mapping, hydraulic modeling, sediment transport analyses and historical datasets

to assess channel response to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Most of her recent work at the USGS has been focused on two primary research areas: 1) assessing channel processes and bed-material transport on rivers subject to in-stream gravel mining and 2) assessing channel response to environmental flows.

Roy Haggerty | Roy Haggerty is Professor of Environmental Geology at Oregon State University. Haggerty and his students currently work on exchange of water between streams and the shallow subsurface (the hyporheic zone), nitrate transport through sediments below

agricultural lands in Oregon, groundwater flow modeling, and the physics of solute transport in highly heterogeneous materials. Students have worked on the role of groundwater in geologic processes, nuclear waste disposal, mathematical modeling of solute transport, and stream turbidity. Recent funding for research has come from the Dept. of Energy, National Science Foundation, Sandia National Laboratories, and state agencies in Oregon.

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Featured Speakers

Wendy Hudson | Wendy Hudson is OWEB’s Partnerships Coordinator for the Willamette Special Investment Partnership, where she coordinates the agency’s support for the Willamette mainstem and Model Watershed programs. From 2006-2012, Wendy

was the Willamette Basin regional program representative for OWEB’s Regular Grant Program. Prior to joining OWEB, Wendy was a program associate with the Northwest Office of Defenders of Wildlife for 11 years. There, she managed production of publications, developed outreach programs, and assisted in fund raising. In other capacities, Wendy worked on Governor Kitzhaber’s Willamette Restoration Initiative and on the Columbia River channel dredging controversy for the Sustainable Ecosystems Institute. Wendy has a Master’s degree in European diplomatic history from George Washington University.

Todd Reeve | Todd Reeve is the CEO of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. He has over fifteen years’ experience building partnerships and pursuing innovations around watershed restoration and water sustainability solutions. Mr. Reeve co-developed

BEF’s Water Restoration Certificate Program, a first of its kind national program that allows water users everywhere to balance the amount of water they use with an equal amount of water restored to a critically dewatered ecosystem. He oversees partnerships with The Nature Conservancy and National Geographic to develop and implement a nationwide campaign to conserve and restore water. Under Mr. Reeve’s direction, BEF developed the first 10-year Model Watershed approach to support community-based efforts to restore watershed ecosystems. He earned an MS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Ba from the University of Oregon.

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Steve kucas | Steve Kucas is the Environmental Compliance Manager for the Portland Water Bureau where he has worked for 18 years. He is also the manager for the Bull Run Water Supply Habitat Conservation Plan, a 50-year plan for improving fish habitat in the Bull Run

watershed and the Sandy River basin. That plan is Portland’s Endangered Species act and Clean Water act compliance mechanism for the operational impacts of the City’s water supply system. Steve also represents Portland as one of the Sandy River Basin Partners, which has been planning, coordinating, and implementing aquatic habitat restoration activities since 1999.

Scott Miller | Scott Miller is the President of Resource Media. He spent 23 years as a television journalist, including 15 years covering the environment for KING 5 TV, the NBC affiliate in Seattle. In addition to winning three Emmy awards, Miller’s work was recognized by the associated

Press, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Society of Environmental Journalists. From 2002-2009 Scott served as CEO of Resource Media, leading the organization through a rapid time of growth and expansion. In 2009, Scott became a Senior Program Officer at The Russell Family Foundation, overseeing environmental grantmaking. Scott returned to lead Resource Media in august of 2012. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1979 with a degree in journalism.

James White | James White has worked in salmon recovery for over a decade and is currently the Operations and Program Integration Manager for the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board. His undergraduate studies were in geomorphology, and his graduate work was in water resource policy and adaptive management. In addition to salmon recovery, James has broad work experience including language translation, environmental consulting, programming, graphic design, paleontology, IT/MIS, teaching music, and cleaning monkey cages.

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7:30am Registration & Breakfast

8:30am Welcome AddressCascade Pam Wiley, Director, Willamette River InitiativeBallroom9:00am Plenary | Willamette River values and beliefs:Cascade Taking stock of public opinionBallroom How do local residents perceive the Willamette River?

What place does – or doesn’t – the river hold in people’s lives? Earlier this year, Meyer Memorial Trust commissioned a survey designed to provide us with a better understanding of how the public regards and values the Willamette. The results are in and WOR attendees will be the first audience to hear what researchers discovered. John Horvick from DHM Research will present survey results and offer insights on how this new knowledge might inform efforts to expand public support for Willamette River restoration. attendees will also have a chance to weigh in with an on-the-spot instant survey.

John Horvick, Vice President and Director of Research, DHM Research

10:00am Plenary | Grading the Willamette: Taking stockCascade of our river’s healthBallroom In collaboration with the Meyer Memorial Trust, a team

from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences is in the process of developing the first Willamette River Report Card. Similar to report cards for the Chesapeake Bay, Mississippi River and other waterbodies, the Willamette Report Card will evaluate the health of the river based on metrics determined through workshops with scientists and watershed stakeholders. Dr. Kelsey will outline this collaborative process and present a preliminary draft of the Report Card, which, once complete, will be a powerful tool for communicating the state of our river to multiple audiences.

Dr. Heath Kelsey, Program Director/associate Research Scientist, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences (UMCES)

10:45am Break

Program | Thursday, December 11

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11:00am CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONSAg Production Enhancing conservation and restoration with

decision support toolsIn this technological age, data is everywhere. How can it be put to practical use in river restoration? In this session, learn how decision support tools have been developed to support conservation-oriented decision making in the Willamette Basin and throughout the greater Northwest. These tools identify restoration value on the landscape, help practitioners identify priorities in the face of limited resources, and help restoration efforts pinpoint actions to locations and scales that have the most impact. Discussions will focus on conceptualizing problems and sketching approaches for decision-making while gaining input on what decision support is needed for continuing Willamette restoration.

Moderator: Dan Bell, Willamette Basin Conservation Director, The Nature Conservancy

Mike Mertens, Director of Spatial analysis, Ecotrust Tom Miewald, Landscape Ecologist and

Conservation Data Coordinator, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Trysting Tree Underrepresented communities’ role in a healthier WillametteCommunities of color, immigrants and low-income residents are disproportionately affected by the contamination of and lack of access to the Willamette River in the Portland area. yet, these populations are greatly underrepresented in the decision-making processes that impact them. In this session, hear how the Portland Harbor Community Coalition is working to empower new leaders and support the voices of all who have a stake in a healthier river. Panelists will share projects to engage youth and other members of underrepresented groups in Willamette River stewardship - with takeaways for organizations looking to reach out to underrepresented groups in their own communities.

Moderator: Jeri Williams, Diversity and Civic Leadership Coordinator, City of PortlandCassie Cohen, Executive Director, Groundwork PortlandRose High Bear, Executive Producer, Wisdom of the EldersIbrahim Mubarak, Founder, Right to Survive

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Elle/Burlingham Stopping the invasion: Strategies for successful weed controlIdentified in Oregon’s Conservation Strategy as a significant threat, invasive species degrade and impede recovery of native habitats across the landscape. While efforts to remove invaders are fraught with challenges, localized progress is occurring – and encouraging. In this session, practitioners from the Upper, Mid- and Lower Willamette River basin will share their experiences addressing the aquatic water primrose Ludwigia, riparian invader Japanese knotweed, and a host of other common invasive species on both public and private lands. Learn about strategies that are working under these diverse conditions and habitat types, and add your own experiences to the discussion.

Moderator: Kendra Smith, Willamette Model Watershed Program Manager, Bonneville Environmental FoundationLauri Holts, Natural Resources Enhancement Coordinator, City of EugeneKristen Larson, Council Coordinator, Luckiamute Watershed CouncilDominic Maze, Biologist/Invasive Species Coordinator, City of Portland

Willamette A Willamette restoration strategic action planning: Status and discussionSpurred by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board’s revised focused funding strategy, a Willamette Steering Committee has formed to develop an action plan for restoration in the Willamette Basin. With a focus on off-channel habitats and connected, functioning native riparian forest corridors along the mainstem and tributaries, this planning will unfold over the coming six to nine months. This session will begin with a quick update on the Focused Investment Partnership (FIP) — how it works and what it means for restoration funding in the Willamette — followed by small-group conversations on reach-specific priorities, partnerships and more.

Session Leader: Kathleen Guillozet, Project Manager, Willamette Collaborative Planning Process, Third Stream Consulting


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Tara Davis, Executive Director, Calapooia Watershed CouncilMarci Krass, Restoration Coordinator, Willamette RiverkeeperJoe Moll, Executive Director, McKenzie River Trust

Willamette B Engaging landowners for more resilient ecosystems: New research and perspectivesEngaging and working with private landowners is essential to successful watershed restoration efforts, yet natural resource management professionals and policy makers seldom hear perspectives from landowners about these relationships. This session will present new research examining how watershed councils interact with private landowners. First-hand accounts from landowner panelists will offer insights into what it takes to cultivate relationships and explore why landowners voluntarily change how they manage their properties in support of salmon recovery and improved conditions of streams and rivers.

Session Leader: Dan Calvert, Ph.D. candidate, Oregon State UniversityMichael Hibbard, Professor Emeritus, University of Oregon Department of Planning, Public Policy and ManagementLandowner Panelists:George Pugh, Calapooia River watershedJim Buchanon, Marys River watershedHerb Crew, Marys River and Luckiamute watersheds

12:15pm Lunch | Sourced from Willamette farmers andCascade business partnersBallroom Lunch remarks

Meta Loftsgaarden, Executive Director, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board

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1:15pm Plenary | Willamette Science UpdateCascade Our evolving understanding of the WillametteBallroom floodplain: Insights and implications for

restorationBeneath our farms, forests, and communities lies a fascinating array of fluvial landforms whose topography and stratigraphy reflect interwoven influences of Quaternary-scale geological processes, historical human activities, and present-day floodplain formation. Drawing upon recent findings from a USGS-led floodplain study, this presentation will describe key features and formative processes of the Willamette River floodplain. The narrative emerging from this work yields new (and sometimes surprising) insights about the history and future of our floodplain and the forests, ecosystems and human communities dependent upon this landscape.

Rose Wallick, Hydrologist, US Geological Survey

Cascade Willamette Water 2100: Anticipating ourBallroom future water needs and informing our response

Willamette Water 2100 (WW2100) is a research project investigating how climate change, increased population and economic growth may alter the availability and the use of water in the Willamette River Basin on a decadal to centennial timescale. a central tool of the project is a computer model of the Willamette water system that integrates aspects of hydrology, ecology and human systems. This presentation will focus on themes that have emerged as the WW2100 team uses the model to probe the interactions between land and water management policies, climate and ecology.

Roy Haggerty, Professor of Environmental Geology, Oregon State University

2:30pm Break 2:45pm CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONSAg Production Using fish data to guide restoration in the

Willamette BasinHow can our knowledge of Willamette River fish communities be put to use in restoration? In this session, hear about the ongoing, collaborative effort to integrate information on juvenile Chinook salmon and other


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species, habitat features, and hydrology to map and identify high priority areas for restoration. Speakers will share their latest research, what it tells us about Willamette River fishes and their habitats, and how the data can be used as a tool to inform restoration planning and implementation.

Moderator: Dave Hulse, Professor of Landscape architecture, University of OregonStan Gregory, Professor of Fisheries, Oregon State UniversityKirk Schroeder, Fisheries Biologist, Oregon Dept. of Fish and WildlifeLuke Schultz, Project Leader, OSU Fish Research Cooperative Unit

Elle/Burlingham Collaborative conservation: Partnership efforts on the mainstem Willamette RiverIn an environment where what happens upstream affects those downstream, coordination between river stakeholders is vital to restoration success. But connecting partners across sectors and geography can be a tall order. When do the benefits of coordinating a large group justify the effort? This session will focus on partnership-driven projects of different scales along the mainstem Willamette River. Through case studies and discussion, panelists will convey the uniqueness of several stakeholder-driven efforts while sharing the challenges and rewards of coordinating programs with a diverse group of partners.

Moderator: Holly Crosson, District Manager, Benton Soil and Water Conservation DistrictCrystal Durbecq, Willamette Mainstem Coordinator/Plant Specialist, Benton Soil and Water Conservation DistrictBrad Withrow-Robinson, associate Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources, Oregon State University ExtensionMarci Krass, Restoration Coordinator, Willamette RiverkeeperScott Youngblood, Willamette River Greenway Ranger, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department


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Willamette A Is there a Willamette River Network in our future?at their best, networks benefit their individual members while simultaneously supporting “the greater good” — in our case, improved river and watershed health. Networks can improve coordination and alignment, heighten public visibility, and strengthen the ties among disparate groups with similar geographies, values and missions. Presenters at this breakout will share their experiences with a wide range of conservation-related networks, from small to large and formal to informal. afterwards, participants will break into small groups to discuss whether and how a network of Willamette River stakeholders might support and add value to on-going restoration efforts.

Jennifer Browning, Executive Director, Bluestem Communications

Michael Wetter, Executive Director, The Intertwine alliance

Trysting Tree Big change, big challenge: The art and science of large-scale restoration

This session features two large-scale restoration projects, one along the Willamette mainstem near Monroe and one in Little Fall Creek, a sub-basin of the Middle Fork Willamette River. Though differing in goals and approach, both projects seek to improve conditions at a scale commensurate with the magnitude of the restoration needs in the affected stream or reach. Presenters will share project backgrounds, strategies, challenges and outcomes to date, along with observations about what it takes to successfully implement complex, large-scale restoration projects, how to maintain such projects over time, and what they would consider before taking on similarly scaled projects in the future.

Moderator: Michael Pope, Executive Director, Greenbelt Land TrustMatt Blakeley-Smith, Willamette Restoration Coordinator, Greenbelt Land TrustEve Montanaro, Executive Director, Middle Fork Willamette Watershed CouncilGary Horning, Owner/Operator, Deerhaven FarmsSteve Horning, Owner/Operator, Deerhaven FarmsMaryanne Reiter, Hydrologist, Weyerhaeuser


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Willamette B Where’s the love? Building connections between people and the Willamette

The Willamette River is the cleanest it’s been in decades, but an old reputation is hard to shake. Hear from three local organizations working to build a greater public understanding and love of the Willamette. From Paddle Oregon and the Great Willamette Cleanup to the Big Float and Willamette River Relay, panelists will share goals, strategies and outcomes of different efforts to inspire people to embrace their river. Discussion will center on how to feed this upward trend in river engagement and ideas for inspiring new audiences to ‘test the waters.’Moderator: Jeremy Monroe, Director, Freshwaters IllustratedTravis Williams, Executive Director, Willamette RiverkeeperWillie Levenson, Ringleader, Human access ProjectKyle Smith, Communications and Development Director, Calapooia Watershed Council

4:00pm Plenary | Poster Ignite SessionCascade Moderator: Wendy Hudson, Willamette Partnership Ballroom Coordinator, Oregon Watershed Enhancement

Board 4:45pm Project Fair & Reception Lobby/Foyer Projects described on pages 24-29 7:00pm Dine Arounds in Corvallis Details and directions on pages 30-31


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7:30am Registration & Breakfast

9:00am Announcements and Introduction Stan Gregory, Professor of Fisheries, Oregon

State University

9:15am Plenary Keynote | Lessons from EasternCascade France: Pragmatic river restoration in aBallroom human-dominated landscape

Hervé Piégay, Research Director, National Center for Scientific Research at the University of Lyon, France

10:15am Break

10:30am CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONSWillamette A Reconnecting the river and its floodplain: Case

studies and a how-to workshopFlow duration analysis is useful for understanding current river-floodplain connectivity, developing biologically and hydrologically-based restoration goals, and simply monitoring restoration project performance. River Design Group, Inc. will provide a workshop on how to acquire data, develop flow duration analyses, and apply the data to restoration projects. The workshop will take attendees through an example flow duration process, demonstrating how to incorporate site-specific river stage data to improve flow duration accuracy and how to incorporate stage-discharge results in arcGIS to review reach-scale inundation. The workshop is intended to provide restoration practitioners with an understanding and the tools to complete a floodplain inundation analysis.

Troy Brandt, Principal Biologist, River Design Group, Inc.Pete Gruendike, Fisheries Biologist, River Design Group, Inc.

Willamette B Riparian Restoration on Agricultural Lands: Three Innovative Approachesaccording to a 2011 assessment by Oregon DEQ, about 70 percent of riparian areas needing restoration in the Willamette Basin are on agricultural lands. Numerous

Program | Friday, December 12

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landowners, watershed councils, SWCDs, land trusts, agencies, and others are working to restore riparian areas on agricultural lands - to improve water quality, habitat and other ecosystem functions. Three panelists will share recent innovative, strategic and collaborative approaches that improve the effectiveness of planning, implementation and tracking progress. an interactive fish bowl discussion will allow conference participants to discuss their ideas regarding the opportunities and challenges to scaling up riparian restoration on agricultural lands.

Moderator: Allison Hensey, Program Director for agriculture and Watersheds, Oregon Environmental CouncilSarah Dyrdahl, Project Manager, Calapooia, South Santiam and North Santiam Watershed CouncilsCheryl Hummon, Riparian Specialist, Oregon Department of agricultureKarl Morgenstern, Environmental Management Supervisor, Eugene Water and Electric Board

Trysting Tree Willamette on tap: The river as a reliable source of drinking waterThe Willamette River has been an important source of drinking water for decades. The cities of Springfield, Corvallis, adair Village, Wilsonville and Sherwood provide safe, quality water from the Willamette River, and many other communities are making plans to follow. The health of the Willamette is of primary importance to water purveyors and their customers in these communities. The goal of this session is to share the commitment and approach of water purveyors to source water protection and reliability, and to identify opportunities for restoration groups and practitioners to partner with us in efforts to protect the precious Willamette source.

Moderator: Jim Meierotto, Water Supply Program Communications, Tualatin Valley Water DistrictLibby Barg, Vice President, Barney and Worth, Inc.Tacy Steele, Communications Officer, Hillsboro WaterTodd Heidgerken, Manager of Community and Intergovernmental Relations, Tualatin Valley Water District


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Elle/Burlingham Fish in the city: Restoring aquatic habitat in heavily-impacted systemsUrbanization and industrialization have resulted in a decline in healthy native fish populations - in our basin and around the world. But recent local successes show it can be possible to restore aquatic habitat in systems with heavy human impact given the right combination of technical expertise, collaboration and funding. In this session, learn about restoration projects at several sites across the basin, including Delta Ponds in Eugene, Tryon Creek and Johnson Creek in Portland, and the lowermost 11 miles of the Willamette in Portland Harbor. Panelists will present case studies and then engage the audience in a discussion about the specific challenges of highly impacted sites, tools and techniques for restoration, lessons learned and takeaways for future projects.

Moderator: Mike Rosen, Watershed Division Manager, City of Portland

Lauri Holts, Natural Resources Enhancement Coordinator, City of Eugene

Kristen Pleyte Acock, Water Resources Engineer, City of Portland

Robin Jenkinson, Restoration Coordinator, Johnson Creek Watershed Council

Lauren Senkyr, Habitat Restoration Specialist/Contractor, NOaa Restoration Center

Ag Production “P’s” in a pod: A straw man proposal for radical reorganization in the Upper WillametteThe Willamette is a big piece of geography with dozens of organizations working to improve land and water conditions. But when tallied up, does the scale of the work match the scale of the challenge? are more and stronger partnerships needed - or something bolder? What about housing land trusts and watershed councils within one organizational structure? This interactive session will use this admittedly radical idea as a launching pad for discussing intermediate stages of partnerships for the region, as well as critical challenges to effective collaboration.

Presenter: Joe Moll, Executive Director, McKenzie River Trust


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12:00pm LunchCascadeBallroom 1:00pm Plenary | Tackling the Challenge of Scale: ThreeCascade Regional PerspectivesBallroom The work of restoring rivers and watersheds is complex,

expensive, and very long-term. Sometimes we implement big projects with significant impacts, but often we have to settle for many small wins and hope they add up to something meaningful over time. Scale isn’t just about project size or quantity, though - it’s about strategy, connectivity, community, and human beings. Every element is big, and interconnected, and - let’s face it - there is no final victory. In this interview format session, three regional leaders will tell us stories of their watersheds and how they and their partners approached the challenge of making a real and lasting difference across a large landscape. They’ll roll up results, share successes and failures, and offer some words of wisdom to consider as we look forward to the next round of work in the Willamette.

Moderator: Todd Reeve, Chief Executive Officer, Bonneville Environmental Foundation

Scott Miller, President, Resource Media Steve Kucas, Environmental Compliance

Manager, Portland Water Bureau James White, Operations and Program

Integration Manager, Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board

2:00pm Closing KeynoteCascade Emma Marris, Environmental WriterBallroom2:45pm Final Remarks and adjournCascadeBallroom

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Project Fair

Willamette Mainstem Cooperative Crystal Durbecq, Willamette Mainstem Coordinator, Benton Soil and Water Conservation District

The Willamette Mainstem Cooperative (WMC) is a community program centered on the Corvallis to albany river reach with a mission

to promote, facilitate and share long-term stewardship of natural resources through collaborative efforts of individual landowners and interested organizations. a steering committee of local landowners and conservation group representatives guides the program, developing goals and facilitating actions to further the mission of the WMC.

Tryon Creek Confluence Habitat Enhancement Project Marc Peters, Environmental Specialist, City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services

This project created and enhanced off-chan-nel aquatic habitat along the Willamette River at the Tryon Creek confluence. This is a rare habitat type that has been largely lost to development along much of the

Willamette River in and around the City of Portland. This poster highlights the importance of the Lower Willamette River and its tributaries in providing critical rearing and refuge habitat for na-tive, Endangered Species act-listed Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead trout.

Working Together to Evaluate Success: Monitoring Fish for the Tryon Creek Confluence Habitat Enhancement ProjectBrook Silver, Fish Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is working with the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services to evaluate the success of aquatic habitat improvements in Tryon Creek, completed in 2010 by the City of Portland. This poster presents find-ings of an intensive monitoring program started by

USFWS in 2012 to assess community, relative abundance, and temporal use by fish in the improved area.

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Harkens Lake: A Case Study in Collaborative Land Protection and Restoration in a Willamette River FloodplainMatt Blakeley-Smith, Willamette Restoration Coordinator &Jeff Baker, Stewardship Manager, Greenbelt Land Trust

In 2010, Greenbelt Land Trust met with the Horning Family to discuss an interest in purchasing a small parcel adjacent to the Willamette River. This conversation sparked a 3-year collaborative effort to protect and restore >500 acres of Willamette River floodplain. This poster describes how the partner-

ship navigated through the complexities of building and retaining trust, creating a collaborative vision, accomplishing permanent land protections, and initiating significant restoration actions.

How to Catch and kill a CARP: A Land Trust’s Venture Into the World of Sand and Gravel Mine Restoration Chris Vogel, Green Island Project Manager & Ryan Ruggiero, Land Protection Manager, McKenzie River Trust

The Coburg aggregate Reclamation Project (CaRP) is adjacent to Green Island at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers. Since 2010, the McKenzie River Trust has worked with River Design Group to create a restoration design that exceeds DOGaMI stan-

dards and increases native fish and wildlife habitat while comple-menting other floodplain restoration actions on Green Island. Implementation was completed in October 2014.

Many Beautiful Paths - Reducing Pesticides & Improving Urban Water and Wildlife Sarah Whitney, Urban Restoration & Stormwater Manager, Long Tom Watershed Council

The amazon Creek Initiative focuses on the urban watershed of the upper Willamette River and amazon Creek, which flows to the Willamette via the Long Tom River. It includes multiple paths to reduce pesticides in local waterways and im-

prove water quality and wildlife in the Eugene area, including the Pesticide Stewardship Program, a stormwater retrofit program for local businesses, a Latino outreach program and more.

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Project Fair

Moving Together, Cascading Forward: The Cal-San TeamLance Wyss, Regional Projects Coordinator, South Santiam, North Santiam and Calapooia Watershed CouncilsThe South Santiam, North Santiam and Calapooia Watershed Councils (Cal-San Team) have been working together since 2006 in order to engage communities, create efficiencies, and increase capacity so more strategic ecological restoration and monitoring can be accomplished. This poster describes the Cal-San approach, partnership and accomplishments to date.

Willamette Model Watershed Program Effectiveness MonitoringEric Andersen, Regional Monitoring Coordinator, South Santiam, North Santiam and Calapooia Watershed CouncilsThe Willamette Model Watershed Program (WMWP) was initiat-ed in 2009 with a goal of increasing the pace, scope and efficacy of community-based restoration. This poster provides initial results of a programmatic effectiveness monitoring plan for the WMWP, which was put in place to provide a consistent method to measure changes in instream and adjacent riparian conditions at restora-tion treatment sites, as well as untreated least disturbed reaches of target streams.

Investigating Links Between Stream Rate of Warming and Riparian Vegetation, McDowell Creek Case StudyEric Andersen, Regional Monitoring Coordinator, South Santiam, North Santiam and Calapooia Watershed Councils & Ivan Arismendi, assistant Professor, Senior Research, OSU Dept of Fisheries & WildlifeThis project investigates the relationship between rates of change in stream temperature and riparian vegetation in McDowell Creek, a South Santiam tributary in an agricultural setting of the Willamette Valley Oregon. Results will provide guidance to identify the most sensitive sections of stream where canopy gaps are producing the greatest changes in stream temperatures, thus prioritizing areas for reforestation.

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Diverse Life Histories of Juvenile Spring Chinook Salmon Provide Stability to Adult Returns in the Willamette BasinLuke Whitman, acting Project Leader &Brian Cannon, assistant Project Leader, ODFW

This poster presents the findings of 12 years of research on how spring Chinook salmon use dif-ferent habitats in the basin, including the mainstem Willamette River, with the goal of informing con-servation and recovery of this species. The research shows a rich diversity of rearing and migratory life

histories, illustrating the vital role of the Willamette River for juve-nile Chinook salmon.

River Island Restoration ProjectBrian Vaughn, Senior Natural Resource Scientist, Metro

The 1996 flood event altered the Clackamas River at the River Island Natural area, cutting off a meander bend and occupying

an active gravel mine that was previously protected by a dike. In 1999 Metro acquired a majority of the site and currently owns 234 acres at River Island. In 2013, voters passed a natural areas levy making it possible for Metro to restore River Island. Funding from the levy and grants will be used to implement a landscape scale restoration of this former gravel mine.

Pacific Lamprey Abundance & Migration Patterns at Willamette FallsCyndi Baker, Fisheries Research and Monitoring Project Leader & Carson McVay, Fisheries Biologist, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Fisheries Research Program, with Bonneville Power administration funds from the Columbia River Fish accords, is

conducting a mark-recapture experiment to estimate the abun-dance of Pacific lamprey at Willamette Falls. This poster presents findings of the study, which uses video cameras to estimate num-bers of lamprey ascending the Falls outside the fish ladder and PIT tags to monitor lamprey use of tributaries downstream.

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Project Fair

Calapooia Watershed Youth Education ProgramBessie Joyce, youth Program Coordinator, Calapooia Watershed CouncilThis project of the Calapooia Watershed Council provides watershed education and meaningful out-door experience to help youth in the Linn County area become familiar with local watershed resources, sustainability issues and natural resource careers

through activities such as data collection and analysis, stewardship action, field trips and outdoor school.

Simulating Groundwater and Surface Water Interaction in the Willamette Basin, OregonNora Herrera, Hydrologist & Terrence Conlon, Supervisory Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) cooperated to develop a con-

ceptual and quantitative understanding of the groundwater-flow system of the Willamette Basin with an emphasis on the Central Willamette subbasin. This study resulted in a final report that de-scribes numerical models of the regional and local groundwater-flow systems and evaluates the effects of pumping on groundwater and surface-water resources. This study and the modeling tools it provides can be used as a starting point for climate and water-withdrawal optimization studies, water management and policy discussions, and strategies to help avert future water scarcity in the Willamette Basin.

Abundance and Habitat Relationships of Willamette River FishesStan Gregory, Professor of Fisheries, Oregon State University

This poster presents findings from an ongoing effort to monitor Willamette River fishes. In 2011-2013, abundance and diversity of native fishes in the Willamette decreased significantly from the up-per mainstem to the mouth, providing a key metric

for the Willamette River Report Card. In 2014, abundance and diversity of fish were significantly greater in mainstem habitats with higher abundances of large wood. These and other data are publicly available in the Willamette Fish Database.

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Floodplain Restoration and Reconnection at the Willamette Confluence Preserve Jason Nuckols, Willamette and Restoration Program Manager & Melissa Olson, Willamette Confluence Land Steward,The Nature Conservancy

Pudding Ponds is the first of four flood-plain restoration projects to be imple-mented at The Nature Conservancy’s Willamette Confluence Preserve. There

are 20 abandoned pits within this over 600-acre floodplain res-toration site, the result of over 60 years of aggregate extraction. Restoration of three of these ponds resulted in reconnecting the river to 130 acres of floodplain, 3000 feet of new side channel, a mile of new shoreline and cold water benefitting spring Chinook salmon.

Landscape Scale knotweed Control in the Luckiamute Basin Kristen Larson, Council Coordinator, Luckiamute Watershed Council

In 2010, the Luckiamute Watershed Council ini-tiated this project to control Bohemian knotweed along the Luckiamute and Little Luckiamute Rivers. after two years of highly successful out-reach and annual herbicide treatment, the LWC proposed to scale up the project to include the

entire extent of the knotweed along a total of 50 river miles. By the end of the 2013 treatment season, the LWC had secured agree-ments from 88% of landowners in the project area.

The Willamette River Report CardDr. Heath Kelsey, Program Director/associate Research Scientist, Tracey Saxby, Design Director, Integration & application NetworkUniversity of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences

The Willamette Report Card will evaluate the health of the river based on metrics determined through work-shops with scientists and watershed

stakeholders. Project leaders will be on hand to answer questions and gather feedback from conference attendees.

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Dine-Arounds

Sky High Brewing | 160 nW Jackson | $10 - $20Reservation at 7:30pm for 16 peopleWorld class beers and elevated pub fare in our 4-story renovated building with sunset views over Corvallis.

Big River Restaurant | 101 northwest Jackson Avenue | $15 - $20Reservation at 7:00pm for 25 people Eclectic, fresh, northwest cuisine using local organic produce, natural meats, sus-tainable seafood, and Big River breads.

Block 15 | 300 SW Jefferson | $10 - $20 Game Room ReservedSpecializing in locally sourced casual food and premium, from the source, craft brews.

Del Alma | 136 SW Washington Avenue, Suite 102 | $20 - $30 no set reservationInspired by the flavors and cuisines of Latin america, the Caribbean, and Spain. Offers gluten-free options.

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Map to Restaurants

Within Our Reach is co-hosted by the Meyer Memorial Trust and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. It is organized by the Willamette River Initiative, a funding program of the Meyer Memorial Trust in partnership with the Tides Center.

Photographs for program and conference signage courtesy of Freshwaters Illustrated

In 2014, the Oregon chub, native only to the Willamette River Basin, became the first fish to be

taken off the endangered species list.

taking stock and scaling up for a healthier...

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