Making Progress Towards a Healthier Willamette

Making progress towards a healthier Willamette.

DECEMBER 11-12, 2012 Welcome

elcome to Within Our Reach 2012: Making Progress WTowards a Healthier Willamette - two days of learning, sharing, problem-solving and networking focused on Oregon’s ‘big river’ and its tributaries.

Much has happened in the two years since the first Within Our Reach conference. Along the mainstem Willamette, new conservation easements are in place and large-scale restoration projects have been initiated on both public and private lands. Hundreds of thousands of native trees, shrubs and grasses have been planted in partnership with landowners in tributary watersheds. Portland’s multi-year project to reduce combined sewer overflows into the Willamette, and Talking Water Gardens, the Albany-Millersburg engineered treatment wetland, became operational. Since 2010, the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, the Bonneville Power Administration and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have invested over $5 million in planning, research, conservation and restoration projects related to the river. At this year’s Within Our Reach we’ll hear more about these and other milestones along the path to improved river health. We’ll also network, share information and solve problems together, as we did in 2010. New this year is the opportunity to hear stories about river restoration from other regions of the U.S. and beyond. We’ll also celebrate recognition of the Willamette River as win- ner of the 2012 Thiess International Riverprize, and learn how this recognition can support continued efforts to secure the future of the river - for farms and communities, for fish and wildlife, and for all Oregonians. PAM WILEY, Willamette River Initiative Director Meyer Memorial Trust / Tides Center Conference Planning Team RICK BASTASCH, City of Portland KEN BIERLY, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board STAN GREGORY, Oregon State University DAVE HULSE, University of Oregon ERIC JONES, Meyer Memorial Trust KENDRA SMITH, Bonneville Environmental Foundation CRISTINA WATSON, Meyer Memorial Trust / Tides Center TRAVIS WILLIAMS, Willamette Riverkeeper Pre-conference Event

A presentation exploring the past and future role of film in restoring the Willamette. Featuring ...Historic footage of conditions in Portland Harbor from a 1939 video by the Isaak Walton League ...Excerpts from the rarely-screened film POLLUTION IN PARADISE, a 1962 KGW documentary by Tom McCall that jump-started efforts to clean up the Willamette ...AND a special sneak preview of WILLAMETTE FUTURES, a new documentary by Corvallis filmmaker Jeremy Monroe. Through the voices of community members and beautifully shot underwater and aerial footage, Monroe tells the story of a new era of restoration in the Willamette. Followed by Q&A with the filmmaker

Presented by

With Conference Snapshot

Tuesday, December 11

7:30 am Registration Open / Foyer/ Continental breakfast Ballroom 8:30 am Welcome Ballroom 8:45 am Conference overview Ballroom 9:00 am Plenary: Implementation Ballroom Progress Report 10:00 am Plenary: Science Progress Ballroom Report 10:50 am Plenary: River Café Intro Ballroom 11:00 am Break 11:15 am River Café Break-outs Conference Rooms 12:30 pm Lunch Ballroom 1:30 pm Plenary: Riverprize Ballroom 2:00 pm Plenary: Sector Progress & Ballroom Challenges 2:30 pm Break-outs: Sector Progress Conference & Challenges Rooms 4:00 pm Plenary: Remarks from the Ballroom Governor’s Office (invited) 4:30 pm Project Fair Overview Ballroom 4:45 pm Project Fair / Reception Alumni Center Foyer 6:00 pm Dine-Arounds Corvallis Restaurants Wednesday, December 12

8:00 am Registration / Breakfast Foyer / Ballroom 9:00 am Plenary Keynotes Ballroom 10:30 am Break 10:45 am Plenary: Agency & Tribal Ballroom Updates 12:00 pm Lunch Ballroom 1:00 pm Break-outs: Special Topics Conference Rooms 2:15 pm Break 2:30 pm Plenary: Closing Keynote Ballroom 3:00 pm River Café & Break-out Ballroom Results 3:30 pm Wrap-up / Adjourn Ballroom

THANKS TO OUR EVENT PARTNERS: Program

Tuesday, December 11

7:30 am REGISTRATION/BREAKFAST

8:30 am WELCOME DOUG STAMM, CEO, Meyer Memorial Trust TOM BYLER, Executive Director, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB)

8:45 am CONFERENCE OVERVIEW PAM WILEY, Director, Willamette River Initiative

PLENARY | Progress & Challenges Much has happened since Within Our Reach 2010. We begin this year’s conference with a review of recent restoration highlights, followed by two reports from the scientific community reflect- ing an evolving understanding of the Willamette that may challenge our assumptions about the river’s past - and the way we think about its future.

9:00 am Implementation Progress Report Moderator: KEN BIERLY, Senior Partnership Coordinator, OWEB Panelists DAVE HULSE, Philip H. Knight Professor, Dept. of Landscape Architecture, University of Oregon KENDRA SMITH, Willamette Model Watershed Program Director, Bonneville Environmental Foundation DEAN MARRIOTT, Director, Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (continued)

10:00 am Science Progress Report Moderator: STAN GREGORY, Professor, Dept. of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University Panelists ROSE WALLICK, Hydrologist, US Geological Survey The Once and Future Willamette Floodplain KIRK SCHROEDER, Project Leader, Willamette Spring Chinook Research, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Between the Gravel and the Sea: The Vital Role of the Willamette River for Chinook Salmon

10:50 am PLENARY | RIVER CAFÉ INTRODUCTION Facilitator: STEVE PATTY, Founder and Principal, Dialogues in Action This interactive discussion session is designed to engage conferees in identifying important restoration challenges facing the Willamette and suggest- ing actionable solutions to on-going river health issues.

11:00 am BREAK

11:15 am RIVER CAFÉ BREAK-OUTS

12:30 pm LUNCH

1:30 pm PLENARY | 2012 Thiess International Riverprize Special Guests BILL DENNISON, Vice President for Science Applications, University of Maryland Center Program

Tuesday, December 11 cont’d

for Environmental Science; International RiverFoundation Board of Directors JOHNNY SUNDSTROM, Founder and Director, Siuslaw Institute; International RiverFoundation Ambassador

2:00 pm PLENARY | Introduction to Sector Progress & Challenges TODD REEVE, CEO, Bonneville Environmental Foundation

2:15 pm BREAK

2:30 pm BREAK-OUTS | Sector Progress & Challenges Rm 111 Agriculture Moderator: ALEX STONE, Associate Professor, Dept. of Horticulture, Oregon State University Panelists GARY HORNING, Owner, Deerhaven Farms PETER KENAGY, Owner, Kenagy Family Farms MARK KRAUTMANN, Owner, Heritage Seedlings

Rm 114 Aggregate Mining Moderator: TRAVIS WILLIAMS, Executive Director and Riverkeeper, Willamette Riverkeeper Panelists KC KLOSTERMAN, Vice President, Old Castle Materials JOE BERNERT, Wilsonville Concrete (continued)

VAUGHN BALZER, Floodplain Mining and Water Quality Reclaimationist, Oregon Dept. of Geology & Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) ANNE MULLAN, Biologist, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Rm 115A Floods & Flows Moderator: LESLIE BACH, Director of Freshwater Programs for Oregon, The Nature Conservancy Panelists XAN AUGEROT, Executive Director, Marys River Watershed Council GREG TAYLOR, Fisheries Biologist, US Army Corps of Engineers TROY BRANDT, Fisheries Biologist, River Design Group

Rm 115B River Cities Moderator: RICK BASTASCH, Program Coordinator, City of Portland Rivers Office Panelists JOANN HERRIGEL, Community Services Director, City of Milwaukie JEFF KRUEGER, Landscape Architect, Lane Council of Governments ED HODNEY, Parks & Recreation Director, City of Albany

4:00 pm PLENARY | Special Guest BRETT BROWNSCOMBE, Natural Resources Policy Advisor, Governor’s Natural Resource Office [invited] Program

4:30 pm PROJECT FAIR & RECEPTION

6:00 pm DINNER | Dine-Arounds Sign up at the registration table to get your name on a group reservation and dine with a small group of conferees at a local restaurant. Wednesday, December 12

8:00 am REGISTRATION / BREAKFAST

9:00 am KEYNOTE PLENARY Introductions: STAN GREGORY, Professor, Dept. of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University Speakers CLIFF DAHM, Professor of Biology, University of New Mexico; previously Lead Scientist, Delta Science Program (CALFED Bay-Delta Program) Bringing Science into Large Scale River Restoration MICHAEL DOUGLAS, Lead Researcher, Research Institute for the Environment & Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Australia Back to the Future: Can Lessons from Restoring the Willamette Help to Protect the Rivers of Northern Australia?

10:30 am BREAK

10:45 am AGENCY & TRIBAL UPDATES / Q&A Moderator: META LOFTSGAARDEN, Deputy Director, OWEB Panelists ROB WALTON, Fisheries Recovery Coordinator, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (continued)

IAN CHANE, Interim Willamette Program Manager, US Army Corps of Engineers LAURA TESLER, Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program Coordinator, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife KELLY WARREN, Willamette Basin Wildlife Mitigation Coordinator, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs LAWRENCE SCHWABE, Hydro-system Compliance Specialist, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde

12:00 pm LUNCH

1:00 pm BREAK-OUTS Rm 111A WRI Evaluation Workshop Since launching the Willamette River Initiative, the Meyer Memorial Trust has awarded nearly $6 million to support Willamette restoration efforts. Now, almost halfway through the ten-year program, it’s time to take a formal look at how things are going. John Sherman from Partners for Change will lead a workshop aimed at framing the right evaluation questions and will solicit feedback to inform the evaluation process. Discussion Leader JOHN SHERMAN, Founder and Managing Director, Partners for Change

Rm 111B Grading the Willamette: ‘Report Cards’ as an Evaluation and Outreach Tool Across the U.S., agencies and river protection groups utilize “report cards” to track ecosystem Program

Wednesday, December 12 cont’d

restoration efforts and inform their communities about the state of local waterways. In this round- table, learn about the Chesapeake Bay report card, then discuss what a Willamette River report card might measure and how it might advance restoration efforts. Moderator: DAVE HULSE, Professor, Dept. of Landscape Architecture, University of Oregon Panelists BILL DENNISON, Vice President for Science Applications, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; International RiverFoundation Board of Directors MIKE MULVEY, Senior Scientist, Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality

Rm 114 Lamprey Research Update Lamprey numbers throughout the Columbia Basin have declined steadily since at least the 1960s, including in the Willamette. Learn about what is known about lamprey life history and habitat needs, as well as collaborative efforts currently underway to promote recovery of this important yet under appreciated fish. Moderator: CARL SHRECK, Professor and Leader, Oregon Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Presenters BEN CLEMENS, Fish Biologist, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife CYNDI BAKER, Fisheries Biologist, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs (continued)

LAWRENCE SCHWABE, Hydro-system Compliance Specialist, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde GABE SCHEOSHIPS, Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission

Rm 115A Where in the world is our Riverprize twin? One aspect of winning the Thiess International Riverprize is the opportunity to ‘twin’ with stakeholders from a river system in another part of the world to exchange experience and best practices. Join OWEB’s Ken Bierly and Riverprize ambassador Johnny Sundstrom of the Siuslaw Institute to discuss how twinning works and how to make the most of this extraordinary opportunity. Moderator: CRISTINA WATSON, Program Assistant, Willamette River Initiative Speakers KEN BIERLY, Senior Partnership Coordinator, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board JOHNNY SUNDSTROM, Founder and Director, Siuslaw Institute; International RiverFoundation Ambassador

Rm 115B Maintaining the Gains: Conservation Stewardship in the Willamette Floodplain In this session, public and private land manag- ers will outline their goals and responsibilities for restoring and managing habitat and conservation lands, describe the challenges they face, and share their ideas for ensuring that investments in conservation and restoration deliver expected results over the long term. Program

Wednesday, December 12 cont’d Moderator: RON PEARMINE, President, Pearmine Farms Panelists CHRIS VOGEL, Green Island Project Manager, McKenzie River Trust ANDREA BERKLEY, Natural Resources Specialist, Oregon Parks & Recreation Department JONATHAN SOLL, Science and Stewardship Division Manager, Metro MARVIN GILMOUR, Partner, Oregon Wetlands & Ag/Restoration Specialist

2:15 pm BREAK

2:30 pm KEYNOTE PLENARY Introduction: PAM WILEY, Director, Willamette River Initiative Speaker KATHLEEN DEAN MOORE, Oregon Author and Environmental Ethicist

3:00 pm RIVER CAFÉ & BREAK-OUT RESULTS

3:30 pm WRAP-UP, ADJOURN Keynote Speakers

Cliff Dahm

Dr. Dahm is an ecosystem ecologist with expertise in restoration ecology, biogeochem- istry, microbial ecology, hydrology, climatol- ogy and aquatic ecology. He is a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque, where he empha- sizes interdisciplinary approaches required for understanding aquatic ecosystems. He has served as interim director for the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico and director for the Freshwater Sciences Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program at UNM. He has served as a program director for the Division of Environmental Biology of the US National Science Foundation. Dr. Dahm served as the lead scientist for the Delta Science Program in Sacramento, California, from June 2008 through February 2012. He has worked on river restoration, intermittent rivers, flow criteria, and adaptive management protocols in Florida, Queensland- Australia, New Mexico, and California.

Michael Douglas

Dr. Michael Douglas is a Professor of Environmental Science based at Charles Darwin University in Darwin, Australia. He is an aquatic ecologist with research interests in how weeds, fire, grazing and water extraction affect tropical rivers, floodplains and riparian zones. For the past 6 years he has been leading large collaborative research programs aimed at supporting land and water management across northern Australia. He is the Director of the Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge Research Hub (TRaCK) and Director of the National Environmental Research Program’s (NERP) Northern Australia Hub. He is currently on sabbatical at Oregon State University and the Keynote Speakers

University of Maryland, supported by a Fulbright fellowship to develop a plan for the next phase of the TRaCK research program.

Bill Dennison Dr. Bill Dennison is a Professor of Marine Science and Vice President for Science Applications at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). Dr. Dennison’s primary mission within UMCES is to coordinate the Integration and Application Network (IAN), a group of scientists committed to solving, not just studying, environmental problems. He has been closely involved in the development of the Chesapeake Bay Report Card produced by EcoCheck, a partnership of NOAA and UMCES. Bill is currently co-leading an international group of seagrass scientists through the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. He also serves on the board of directors of the International RiverFoundation in Australia.

Johnny Sundstrom

Johnny Sundstrom is founder and president of the Siuslaw Institute, and coordinated the successful winning of the 2004 Riverprize by the Siuslaw Basin Partnership. The Institute specializes in collaborative approaches to natural resource issues and policy, endangered species, as well as providing educational opportunities in these subjects for local schools. He has worked extensively in the Russian Far East as a participant in the ‘Twinning’ process resulting from winning Riverprize. He is a co-owner and the manager of a ranching and forestland operation in western Oregon, USA, as well as varsity coach of track & field at the local high school. He serves on several state and national advisory committees dealing with forestry, salmon habitat, and ranching interests. He has recently published a novel dealing with settling the West.

Kathleen Dean Moore

Kathleen Dean Moore is a philosopher, nature writer, public speaker, and defender of all that is wet and wild. Her work brings together the art of the essay, the wisdom of the natural world, and the moral clarity of philosophy to explore our place on the planet and our responsibilities for its thriving. Moore is best known as a nature writer, whose essays question and celebrate our cultural and spiritual connections to the wild, nurturing Earth. Moore’s nature books have won the Oregon Book Award, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers’ Award, and the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. Her work is published in magazines such as Orion, Audubon, Discover, The Sun, and the New York Times Magazine. Her newest book is MORAL GROUND: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril. It gathers testimony from a hundred of the world’s moral leaders, who call us to honor our obligations to future generations. Moore and coeditor Michael P. Nelson speak widely to audiences of interested citizens, scientists, church groups, etc. about the need for a moral response to climate destabilization and species loss. Moore is also a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Oregon State University in Corvallis, where she teaches environmental eth- ics, philosophy of nature, and a variety of courses for OSU’s new MA in Environmental Leadership, including “Practical Moral Reasoning for Environmental Professionals.” Exhibitor Information

Clearing the way for successful restoration of riparian forests

Ed Peachey, OSU Horticulture Extension; Brad Withrow- Robinson, OSU Forestry and Natural Resources Extension This poster presents early results from a study evaluating common pre-emergent herbicides with low environmental impact to determine which might be suitable for restoration applications. Data from the study will support a request for a Special Local Need label in restoration projects such as the Half Moon Bend site. Project partners include Meyer Memorial Trust and Oregon Parks and Recreation.

Half Moon Bend Restoration Demonstration Project

Brad Withrow-Robinson, OSU Forestry and Natural Resources Extension; Andrea Berkley, Oregon Parks and Recreation This Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board funded project aims to restore a diverse, highly functional floodplain forest while demonstrating the use of farming and forestry practices in restoration. Using different planting blocks, the project will demonstrate how a variety of planting and management approaches can help reach specific future conditions and objectives. Project partners include OSU Extension, local farmers Marvin Gilmour and Peter Kenagy, OPRD, and Benton County SWCD. Willamette Mainstem Cooperative

Crystal Durbecq, Invasive Plant Specialist/ Project Coordinator Benton SWCD; Peter Kenagy, Landowner The Willamette Mainstem Cooperative is a 2-year project to assess the extent and condition of vegetation, habitat and invasive plants in the reach of the Willamette River mainstem between Corvallis and Albany (about 13 river miles). By end of 2013, the project will have surveyed, and analyzed field data from more than 3,000 acres of floodplain habitat. In the next phase of the project, Benton SWCD staff and a local advisory group will develop a treatment plan for the surveyed areas.

The Willamette River: Keystone for Diversity of Spring Chinook Life Histories

Kirk Schroeder, Luke Whitman, Brian Cannon, ODFW Willamette Spring Chinook Research For ten years, ODFW researchers have studied habitat use and migration patterns of juvenile Willamette spring Chinook. This work has revealed a rich diversity of rearing and migratory life histories, which is changing perspectives about the vital role of the Willamette River for this dynamic species of salmon. Based on spring Chinook mainstem habitat use and migration patterns, the research team has identified high priority conservation and restoration areas critical for maintaining the species’ diversity of life histories. Exhibitor Information

Current Restoration Efforts in the Luckiamute Watershed

Peter Guillozet, Project Manager; Kristen Larson, Council Coordinator In partnership with OPRD, the Luckiamute Watershed Council is restoring native plant communities and increasing community awareness of the Luckiamute State Natural Area. To date, the council has planted approximately 80 acres and plans to plant an additional 140 acres in 2013. The project has been jointly funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the Meyer Memorial Trust. Bonneville Power Administration also provided funding in 2012. The OPRD provides ongoing support and the Oregon Parks Foundation provided a small grant for plant materials in 2011.

Upper Willamette Stewardship Project

Nicole Nielsen-Pincus, McKenzie River Trust; Scott Youngblood, OPRD The Upper Willamette Stewardship Project is a multi-party effort comprised of McKenzie River Trust, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Northwest Youth Corps, the Long Tom Watershed Council, Lane County, Department of State Lands and private landowners to ensure the long-term conservation of dynamic floodplain habitats on the mainstem of the Upper Willamette River between Eugene and Harrisburg. The two-year pilot project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Oregon Governor’s Fund for the Environment) with matching funds from several other partners. Green Island Restoration

Chris Vogel, Green Island Project Manager The McKenzie River Trust owned and managed Green Island is a 1065-acre floodplain site located just downstream of the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers. Restoration efforts initiated in 2005 include native vegetation planting and weed removal, levee removals, and other channel reconnection work. Next steps include restoring a 56-acre gravel extraction site, improving a low water crossing to increase flow across the site, and modifying a levee to allow seasonal connections between the historic McKenzie River channel and a side channel of the Willamette River. The design phase was funded by the ODFW Wildlife Mitigation Program, Bonneville Power Administration and TNC/PGE Habitat Support Program.

SLICES – An information framework for a biologically effective network in the Willamette River Floodplain

Dave Hulse, University of Oregon This framework for floodplain assessment involves mapping one-km “slices” of the floodplain at right angles to the floodplain’s center axis. Each 1 km slice is then subdivided into ten 100 m slices. Within these 100 m slices, UO researchers measure and report characteristics that represent the dynamic processes that structure and are structured by the river and its floodplain, and that together capture key relations of ecological dynamism and resilience. In its final form, the framework will include data on channel complexity, floodplain forests, number and location of cold water refuges, native fish species richness and flood inundation. Exhibitor Information

Patterns of Native and Non-Native Fish Communities in the Willamette River

Dr. Stan Gregory, Randy Wildman, and Josh Williams, Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University The OSU research team has developed a strati- fied random sampling protocol for native and non-native fish communities in the mainstem Willamette River in 2011 and 2012, with plans for a third year of sampling in 2013. Results from 2011 and 2012 are consistent and il- lustrate several important characteristics of fish diversity in the river. More than 90% of the total number of fish captured in the mainstem channel were native species. Sloughs again exhibited much lower native species richness than the mainstem and native species accounted for less than half of the total richness in downstream sloughs. These data and major historical fish survey data are being incorporated in a database that is linked explicitly with the SLICES framework and will be publicly available in late 2013.

Mid-Willamette Valley Conservation

From GLT: Michael Pope (Executive Director), Jeff Baker (Stewardship Director), Claire Fiegener (Conservation Director), Jessica McDonald (Development Director) Landowners: Gary Horning, Steve Horning, Art Waggle, Bill Stellmacher (invited) In the last year, Greenbelt Land Trust (GLT) has protected 546 acres of critical floodplains through partnerships with six families along the Willamette River. In December, 2011 GLT purchased three conservation easements at Harkens Lake, east of Monroe. In August, 2012 GLT permanently protected 175 acres through two conservation easements and one fee-simple acquisition at Horseshoe Lake, a remnant ox-bow of the Willamette River outside of Albany. Both projects have been identified as priority conservation areas because of their dynamic side channel systems that provide refuge for native fish and wildlife and their proximity to adjacent protected lands that extend the conservation footprint in that region. Delta Ponds Side-channel Habitat Enhancement

Lauri Holts, City of Eugene The recently completed Delta Ponds Side- Channel Habitat Enhancement Project is the largest urban side-channel habitat enhancement project to date in the Willamette Valley. This project is an outstanding example of how local governments can form partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies, local and regional organizations, and community groups to achieve high quality habitat restoration projects benefit- ing multiple species, including threatened Chinook salmon. This project hydrologically connected 2.2 miles of side-channel habitat to the Willamette River, providing critical rearing habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon; enhanced over 60 acres of wetland and riparian habitat through the regra-ding of steep banks, removal of invasive species and planting of over 75,000 native plants; and constructed recreational and interpretive facilities, including trails, boardwalks, pedestrian bridges, overlooks, and interpretive signs.

Cox Creek Confluence Restoration Project

Tara Davis, Calapooia Watershed Council; Ed Hodney, City of Albany Parks and Recreation Department The City of Albany and Calapooia Watershed Council are in the preliminary phase of implementing the Cox Creek Confluence Restoration Project. The project includes removing a small dam on Cox Creek and reforesting 25+ acres along the creek and at its confluence with the Willamette River. Vegetation management began in lower Cox Creek in 2011 with DEQ-private corporation mitigation funds, and the site prep at the confluence began in summer 2012 with OWEB SIP funding and City in-kind. Permitting dam removal in an urban setting has been complex but possible- the concrete structure is slated for removal summer 2013. Planting of the entire site will be completed by spring 2013 and main- tenance will continue through 2017. Exhibitor Information

Restoration Overview for OPRD Greenways and State Parks

Andrea Berkley, Natural Resource Specialist; Julie Whalen, Park Manager; Scott Youngblood, Park Ranger Oregon Parks and Recreation Department man- ages approximately 90 properties adjacent to the mainstem Willamette comprising close to 10,000 acres. These sites provide a variety of ecosystem services, including filtration of pollutants and shading to protect water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, recreational enjoyment, and agricultural production. Natural resource management is carried out at these sites in order to achieve three primary goals: improved fish and wildlife habitat, improved water quality, and reduced cover of exotic invasive species. A variety of restoration activities are occurring at these sites thanks to assistance from partner organizations, a mix of key funding sources, and an expansion of OPRD stewardship capacity. Between 2009 and 2015, over 20 restoration projects will be completed at OPRD Greenways and State Parks on the mainstem Willamette.

Greasy Creek Restoration

Xanthippe Augerot, Executive Director, and Karen Fleck-Harding, Landowner Coordinator, Marys River Watershed Council Benton County’s Greasy Creek, a focal stream under the Willamette Model Watershed Program, is a 6th field hydrologic unit with high potential for cutthroat trout habitat. Historically, the valley floor through which Greasy Creek runs, was used as pasture and cropland resulting in a simplified stream channel lacking riparian vegetation. The area is now dominated by rural residential and industrial timber companies manage a majority of the upper watershed. The poster highlights recent restoration activities including riparian re-vegetation, knotweed control, large wood placements, reconnection of off-channel habitats, culvert replacements, fish ladder construction, and environmental education. Restoration prescriptions have been completed on approximately 50% of the watershed. Fish Use of Seasonally Inundated Floodplain Habitat within Agricultural Lands along the Upper Willamette River

Josh Williams, Oregon State University; Peter Kenagy, Willamette Valley Farmer OSU scientists — with support from the National Science Foundation and Meyer Memorial Trust — conducted research from winter 2011 through spring 2012 on a piece of private agricultural land along the Willamette River near the town of Albany, Oregon to study the seasonal use of floodplain habitats by fish. The study collected over 42,000 fish, 98% of which about were native to the Willamette River. A total of 23 species were collected, comprising 12 native and 11 nonnative species. This study shows that floodplain habitats are used by several fish species at various life history stages, particularly for spawning and rearing by species such as stickleback and native minnows.

Water 2100: Anticipating water scarcity and informing integrative solutions

A project funded by the National Science Foundation Hydrological Sciences Program Even in a water-rich region like the Willamette River Basin, water scarcity is a serious emerging concern now and into the future. Changes in climate, socioeco- nomic, and land use stressors will result in changes in seasonal water supply, water demand, and water scarcity. This five-year project led by OSU in collaboration with PSU and UO is anticipating how and where that water scarcity will emerge and evaluating what strategies will allow communities to prevent, mitigate, or adapt to scarcity most successfully. Central to the project is Envision, a state-of-the-art tool developed at OSU to model the interaction of biophysical processes with human decisions and their combined effect on land use patterns over time. Exhibitor Information

Amazon Creek Initiative and Pesticide Stewardship Partnership

Dana Dedrick, Coordinator/Executive Director; Jed Kaul, Aquatic Projects Manager/ Fisheries Biologist; Jason Hunton, SureCrop Farm Services LTWC’s Amazon Creek Initiative and Pesticide Stewardship Partnership (PSP) is in the second year of a multi-year program to reduce toxics through monitoring, education and implementing best management practices in Eugene and the surrounding agricultural area. As the only PSP in Oregon with significant urban impacts, Amazon Creek could become a model for cooperative toxics reduction for Northwest cities. The Amazon Creek Initiative is part of LTWC’s broad spectrum of efforts to significantly improve fish and wildlife habitat and the health of the Long Tom & Willamette Rivers.

Multi-stakeholder involvement in watershed-scale channel enhancement of a splash-dammed system

Eve Montanaro, Executive Director, and Elise Ferrarese, Restoration Specialist Located in the southern Willamette Valley, Little Fall Creek (LFC) is a low to moderate gradient stream that flows unobstructed by dams to the Willamette River. The 37,000-acre sub-watershed provides important habitat for spring Chinook, winter steelhead, and northern red-legged frogs. The MFWWC selected the Little Fall Creek (LFC) sub-watershed for watershed-scale restoration as part of the ten-year Willamette Model Watershed Program. A collaborative approach to restoration includes private landowners and watershed stakeholders in the project planning and design process. To date, designs have been engineered for four priority sites with implementation scheduled to begin in summer of 2013. A monitoring plan has been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the project to improve stream channel complexity, gravel retention and sorting, stream temperature, side channel activation duration and frequency, and spawning success. City of Portland Office of Healthy Working Rivers

Ann Beier, Director; Rick Bastasch, Program Coordinator; Heidi Berg, Environmental Program Coordinator; Kevin Kilduff, Environmental Program Coordinator The City of Portland Rivers Office works to reconnect Portlanders to the Willamette and Columbia Rivers and advance the City’s five river goals: a clean and healthy river for fish, wildlife, and people; a prosperous working harbor; increased awareness of the river; a vibrant waterfront; and, successful partnerships to implement river projects. Formed in 2009, the Rivers Office collaborates closely with other City bureaus, as well as state and federal agencies, to achieve a healthier river that can be enjoyed by Portland residents and visitors. The Office strives to learn from and work with all the other upriver communities that are turning back to the Willamette.

Monitoring/Evaluation of Environmental Flows on the Middle Fork Willamette River – A Sustainable Rivers Project (SRP)

Christine Budai, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Leslie Bach, The Nature Conservancy The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operates 13 dams in the Willamette Basin - 11 multiple purpose storage reservoirs and 2 regulating reservoirs. All 13 of the dams are located on major tributaries. While the dams provide important benefits to society, they have impacted ecosystem processes and native fish and wildlife. To address this issue, the Corps and The Nature Conservancy are partnering to determine environmental flow requirements downstream of the dams and to identify opportunities to restore the flow regime. Initial efforts resulted in a set of environmental flow targets for the Middle Fork Willamette River, including fall and winter high flow pulses, winter bankfull flows, and summer low flows. Exhibitor Information

Willamette River Basin Inundation Mapping

Peter Gruendike, Fisheries Biologist/ GIS Specialist River Design Group, Inc. is working to map the regulated 2-year discharge on 160 miles of the mainstem Willamette River, the lower 4 miles of the Coast Fork, the lower 17 miles of the Middle Fork, and the lower 35 miles of the McKenzie. RDG used LiDAR data sets acquired by Watershed Sciences, Inc. and provided by DOGAMI, as the topographic surface models. Stream gage data, USACE flood frequency analyses, and USGS stream gage rating tables were used to calculate water surface trendlines. Trendlines were then used to create a regulated 2-year flood water surface layer that was overlaid onto the LiDAR-based topographic surface model to assess inundation of river corridors. Inundation maps are expected to be used by stakeholders for diverse purposes including aquatic habitat restoration prioritization.

Willamette Futures: A Film on the Fate of Oregon’s Big River

Jeremy Monroe, Director, Freshwaters Illustrated Corvallis-based nonprofit Freshwaters Illustrated is committed to ‘promoting aquatic awareness through photo, video, and film.’ They are currently producing Willamette Futures, a documentary film about the natural history of the Willamette River and current efforts to restore it. Through the voices of community members and captivating underwater, aerial and time-lapse imagery of the Willamette, the film tells the story of the renewed sense of commitment to the river and features over a dozen ongoing restoration efforts throughout the valley. The final product will include several versions meant for different audiences, including a 56-minute version geared for public television, a 50-minute version targeting local communities and a 35-minute version for use in high school science classes. Detailed geomorphic mapping of the Willamette River Floodplain: Lessons learned from the 2012 Pilot Mapping Project

Mackenzie Keith, Rose Wallick, Joseph Mangano, Jim O’Connor, Charles Cannon, and Krista Jones (USGS); Sarah Schanz (University of Washington) In the summer of 2012, USGS initiated a pilot program to create a geomorphically based mapping system of the Willamette River floodplain. If implemented in a comprehensive manner, this program would generate a detailed inventory of floodplain landforms and habitats so that these features can be related with formative processes. Additionally, a comprehensive inventory of floodplain landforms and habitats forms baseline datasets for long-term monitoring, so that the creation and evolution of floodplain habitats can be tracked over time.

Estimates of gravel transport for rivers of western Oregon and implications for channel morphology

Jim O’Connor, Rose Wallick, Joseph Mangano, Krista Jones, and Mackenzie Keith (USGS); Scott Anderson (University of Colorado) Prompted by regulatory questions regarding instream gravel mining, USGS launched a series of studies to investigate gravel production, transport and channel morphology across a spectrum of channel types in western Oregon, where the distribution of alluvial and bed- rock channels is largely controlled by differences in regional geology. Analyses found that geology determines both the rate of gravel sup- plied to river channels and the hardness of individual particles, which in turn dictates the rate at which they break down (or abrade) during transport through the stream system. Expanding the analyses to all river basins in western Oregon reveals stark inherent differences in rates of gravel transport and also demonstrates that in some basins, dams block a substantial portion of the total bed-material yield for the basin. Dine-Arounds

RESTAURANT OPTIONS Terminus | 603 NW 2nd St. | $20 - $30 Fantastic food, cocktails made with love, rotating taps, lots and lots of comfy booths, and the best river view in town. Big River Restaurant | 101 Northwest Jackson Avenue | $15 - $20 Eclectic, fresh, northwest cuisine using local organic produce, natural meats, sustainable seafood, and Big River breads. Aomatsu | 122 Northwest 3rd Street | $10 - $15 Authentic Japanese food and a complete sushi bar, as well as a cuisine from numerous Asian cultures to suit virtually every palate. Aqua | 151 Northwest Monroe Avenue | $13 - $28 Hawaiian. From coconut prawns and butter lettuce wraps to macadamia crusted mahi mahi, shrimp pasta and Kobe beef medallions. Sada Sushi & Izakaya | 151 Northwest Monroe Avenue | $10 - $15 Hand-crafted sushi bar and authentic Japanese cuisine in concert with an extensive sake menu and traditional izakaya atmosphere. Cloud & Kelly’s | 126 Southwest 1st Street | $10 - $20 Pan-made mac-n-cheese, hearty British pub fare, and deli- cious homemade farm-to-table daily specials. Del Alma | 136 SW Washington Avenue, Suite 102 | $20 - $30 Inspired by the flavors and cuisines of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain. Offers gluten-free options. FireWorks | 1115 Southeast 3rd St. | $15 - $25 Menu features local family farmers, ranchers, foragers, brew- ers & vintners. Wood fired pizzas, burgers and sandwiches. Map to Restaurants

N Within Our Reach is co-hosted by the Willamette River Initiative of the Meyer Memorial Trust and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Program cover and conference signage photography courtesy of Jeremy Monroe, Freshwaters Illustrated