Marys River Watershed Council

Inspiring and supporting voluntary stewardship of Marys River Watershed

Inspiring and supporting
voluntary stewardship of
Marys River Watershed

News

Cold Rain, Warm Smiles at 2019 Annual Celebration

Over 80 Oregonians braved the heavy rain on Sunday, September 9th to join in the 2019 Marys River Watershed Council Annual Celebration. An intrepid group of watershed enthusiasts joined Kathleen Westly, MRWC’s Education and Restoration Project Manager, for a before-dinner tour of restoration work in Duffy Creek. Participants were able to see signs of beaver activity and view log jams and other restoration work done by the Council.

The group returned to join other guests at Tyee Wine Cellars for the rest of the celebration, complete with dinner by OSU Catering, music by local Corvallis band, When Picks Fly, and wine from Tyee, sipped from new Marys River Watershed Council custom tumblers.

Friendly conversation was accompanied by a presentation on the Council’s work from the past year and upcoming programs and projects, presented by MRWC Executive Director, Holly Purpura.

The end of the night saw the retirement of three Board members, Annie Young-Mathews, Michael Pope, and Jeff Reams as well as the election of five Board members: Bill Blakney, Merrilee Buchanan Benson, Phil Sollins, Zach Pike-Urlacher, and Tessa Artruc.

Jana Seeliger was also recognized for her outstanding volunteer service with the Council.

Thank you to all for coming out to celebrate with us and a special thanks to our sponsors: Tyee Wine Cellars, OSU Hydrophiles, Green Girl, and Gathering Together Farm. A final thank you goes to our Duffy Creek tour hosts: Tam, Jim, and Ardis Belknap, Jay Hansen, and Starker Forests.

We’ll see you all next year!

Friends & Family Night at McMenamins!

Date:    May 29, 2018
Time:   5pm ’til closing
Place:  McMenamins Corvallis Pub
420 NW Third St., Corvallis

This is the night to grab your family and friends (even your furry ones!) and head to McMenamins Corvallis Pub! A full 50% of all sales during this event will go to both the Marys River Watershed Council and Luckiamute Watershed Council! By ordering up burgers, sandwiches, salads, drinks, desserts and more, you’ll be supporting local watershed conservation. Join us! 

 

About McMenamins Corvallis Pub (from their website):

This laid-back, English-style pub fills the space formerly occupied by the loftily named Tower of London fish-and-chip house. Unlike the actual Tower of London, where more than a few Brits spent their last nights on earth, McMenamins’ location is a welcoming spot.

Swing by for lunch with the family or bring your friends over to take advantage of the specials offered for happy hour. Corvallis locals frequent this pub because of the fresh, seasonal meals, awesome drink specials and a cozy atmosphere. With inviting decor, low lighting and pretty flower boxes, locals can’t help but lose track of time over lazy lunches around the fireplace. Outdoor seating is available in summertime months.

​Friends, family and even a Duck or two are welcome. Bring your pups as well, since McMenamins Corvallis allows pets at all our outdoor seating areas!

 

Let’s Pull Together! Saturday May 19th

Let’s Pull Together to remove weeds from the places we love! On Saturday, May 19, 2018 bring your friends, your family, your group, and join in at any one of our six Let’s Pull Together locations! Our site coordinators and on-site noxious weed experts will assist you in identifying native plants and noxious weeds.

The May 19 events, taking place during Oregon’s Invasive Weed Awareness Week, are hosted by members of the Benton County Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA). The mission of the Benton County CWMA is to coordinate community-based efforts against those invasive species that have the potential to cause ecological and economic harm in Benton County.

Benton County CWMA members hosting sites include the Alliance for Recreation and Natural Areas/Marys Peak Alliance, Benton County, Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, City of Albany, City of Corvallis, Calapooia Watershed Council, Greenbelt Land Trust, Heart of the Valley Runners, Institute for Applied Ecology, Marys River Watershed Council, Siuslaw National Forest, Sustainability Coalition Water Action Team, Willamette Mainstem Cooperative, and Willamette Restoration Volunteers.

Register now to Pull Together!

Willamette River Report Card – Corvallis Area Passing Grade ‘B’

Willamette River Report Card Dec2015

The Willamette River Report Card gives the river an overall passing grade of B- and section grades of B for the upper Willamette (Eugene to Albany), B for the middle Willamette (Albany to Newberg), and C for the lower Willamette (Newberg to the Columbia River).

Here in Corvallis we are part of the Upper Willamette with an overall score of B. The report card was created to establish a baseline for Willamette River health by which progress could be measured in the future and to explain how community actions and individual choices impact river health.

Tens of thousands of people visit the Willamette every year to swim, boat, fish and play, and the Willamette Valley is home to two-thirds of the state’s population. Farmland, cities and our thriving wine and beer industry all rely on the Willamette and its tributaries. And we’re not the only ones who need and use the river—bald eagles, beavers, turtles, salmon and many other animals rely on the river for their survival.

The health of the Willamette River first came to public attention 50 years ago, when cities and factories were dumping untreated waste and industrial pollution into the river. In the 1960s, former Governor Tom McCall championed a series of initiatives to clean up the Willamette River from municipal and industrial pollution.

Today, that work continues with locally-based watershed councils, land trusts, SWCDs and other organizations like Marys River Watershed Council along the Willamette that improve the rivers and streams in their communities. Here in Corvallis, MRWC collaborates directly with generous landowners, students and volunteers to take on big projects for big returns found in cleaner, cooler water and improved habitat for wildlife.

We invite you to join us in that effort and in making the river an even safer, cleaner place. Volunteer with us, and encourage your family, friends and neighbors to join us. You can also lessen your impact on the Willamette River with a few simple behaviors, including reducing the amount of chemicals used at home, choosing non-toxic lawn and garden care products, disposing of hazardous products properly, planting gardens to capture rainwater, and ensuring that pet waste is picked up and thrown away.

Thank you for making the Marys River better for everyone!

Oregon Approves Lamprey Creek!

At its Saturday, June 27th meeting in Newport, Oregon, the Oregon Geographic Names Board unanimously approved the name “Lamprey Creek” for the unnamed Oak Creek tributary that originates in the Skyline West Neighborhood.  Board members were very complimentary about the nomination packet advanced by Marys River Watershed Council and community volunteers (Dave Eckert, Jeremy Monroe, and Gabe Sheoships).  The proposal now advances to the US Geological Survey for final approval.

Once the naming is finalized, we will work with City of Corvallis staff and other supporters of the creek naming to host a celebration.  We will keep you posted!

 

Another Chapter in the Mystery of the Mill Race

Contributed by Phil Sollins and Regina Southworth

As we dig into the Corvallis Mill Race, we continue to find surprises.

We knew that some time between 1967 and 1969, the historic Mill Race was closed off beyond Crystal Lake Drive and diverted to a newly-created channel passing north across Evanite and City land.  The new outlet emptied into the Marys River just upstream of the confluence with the Willamette River.  The new channel was much too small to allow full drainage of South Corvallis storm water.  A 20” culvert placed under the Southern Pacific Railroad spur and the existing culvert under what was then called Chapman Place toward the western end of the Evanite property were both significant bottlenecks. The geometry of the new ditch, specifically the 90 degree turn where the new channel connected to the old, also created fundamental flow issues.

Relocation Mill Race 1965-69Extensive review of both City and County records had failed to yield any records of local government involvement in the planning of this channel realignment. Just last week, a search of on-line City archives finally told the story.

City Council minutes for June 19, 1967, state that Evanite personnel met with the City Manager and unspecified staff members to discuss how the Mill Race could be modified to better serve as a drainage conduit for the South Corvallis area.  Evanite’s interest was presumably prompted by its desire to fill in the Mill Race at its eastern end, to improve access to and around the hardboard plant. Evanite had stopped using Mill Race water by 1958.

Council minutes for October 2nd state that Mill Race modifications had been made, and included “trespass … across City lands at the mouth of the Mary’s River.” The clear implication is that this was done without City approval or even further consultation. Note also that the minutes refer to use of an existing culvert under Chapman Lane (known at the time as Crystal Lake Drive).

The minutes for October 16, 1967, refer to a Public Works Department report of October 12th that stated that the realignment was indeed done without “consultation or approval of the City of Corvallis.”  We have not yet located a copy of the October 12th report. It appears that no action was ever taken by the City against Evanite, despite clear evidence that the realignment greatly impeded drainage of flood waters from South Corvallis. Corvallis finally rebuilt all the affected parts of the Mill Race, at city expense, but the last stage of the work was not completed until 1997, presumably in response to the disastrous flood of 1996.