The Mohawk Watershed Partnership has sustained itself for more than five years and throughout that time has done numerous restoration projects, performed water quality monitoring, and provided the community with a variety of opportunities to learn more about watershed health. And, there are always more activities planned! For an idea of the activities we are currently involved in, please click here.

Watch for information about upcoming events on Mohawk Valley bulletin boards, in the local newspapers, and in our newsletter or contact Partnership coordinator, Jared Weybright at 687-9076 or email mwp@epud.net to be added to the Partnership e-mail distribution list.

Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Each year, we organize planting projects at one or more locations in the Mohawk Valley. The projects are selected because the landowners believe in the mission of the Partnership and because the projects will move us closer to a healthy, naturally functioning watershed. Although the work can be difficult, we always manage to have fun! This year we did three projects:

• A riparian, wetland and conifer planting. About 1,000 conifers were planted by a professional crew. Volunteers spent a half day planting another 1,000 native plants, including wetland plants, deciduous trees, and shrubs. That's fast work!
• A bank stabilization/enhancement planting. 3,500 willow cuttings were planted by volunteers to enhance banks with riprap, prevent undercutting of the riprapped banks, and to stabilize banks with little to no vegetation. We got the job done in spite of the snow that day!
• Small stream/wetland enhancement. About 500 native plants were planted along a small stream and in surrounding wetlands. The task was complete in record time thanks to the Cub Scouts that participated!

Join us next winter for our planting projects. They take place rain or shine or snow!!

Water Quality Monitoring

The Partnership's Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Team has been monitoring water quality on the Mohawk River since 1998. The group meets one Saturday each month to collect samples from three sites on the Mohawk River. Testing of the samples is done at the Mohawk High School. The samples are tested for pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, nitrates, ammonia, phosphorus, bacteria, BOD (biological oxygen demand), and dissolved oxygen. With four years of experience, the group has the whole process down to an hour and a half. New members are always welcome to the Team.

Education and Outreach

Education and outreach activities sponsored by the Partnership are varied. We offer tours of the watershed and workshops focusing on specific aspects of watershed health and function. These have included tours of restoration projects and wetlands and workshops on butterfly gardens and fluvial geomorphology. We publish a quarterly newsletter that is distributed to over 1700 homes in the Mohawk Valley. And we have a booth at Mary Cole days each year. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events.

University of Oregon Service Learning Program

During the 2002/03 academic year five University of Oregon students enrolled in the Environmental Studies Service Learning Program focused on the Mohawk Watershed. Students created educational posters, wrote a restoration resource guide, conducted a survey of watershed residents, participated in water quality monitoring and coordinated a clean-up of McGowan Creek. To learn more about the student’s work, click here.

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