Mohawk Watershed - Focus Sub-basin Project

Focus Sub-basin Project

A logjam like this one on McGowan Creek is a naturally-occuring process in a healthy watershed.

McGowan area landowners meet to learn about the Partnership and the Focus Sub-Basin Project.

We are thrilled to have received a generous grant from Bonneville Environmental Foundation in April 2002 to kick-off our Focus Sub-basin Project. The Project is a long-term, systematic and adaptive approach to restoration that emphasizes statistically-sound and scientifically-defensible monitoring. We will systematically move through each of the 19 sub-basins of the Mohawk watershed, evaluating the health of each sub-basin, setting goals for the future, prioritizing projects that will help us achieve those goals, and implementing those projects. Monitoring of sub-basin health and project effectiveness will continue throughout the implementation period in each sub-basin. With this approach, we hope to improve our effectiveness over time, while adding to the existing watershed restoration knowledge base.

We have already begun the Focus Sub-basin Project in the McGowan sub-basin. Engaging the community and other stakeholders is the very first step. That process began with a meeting of landowners that live along McGowan Creek. It continues with visits to landowners, workshops, tours, and restoration projects.


Springfield High School students collect water samples, run tests and love every minute of it!

Water quality monitoring and data collection has already begun, as well. Students from Springfield High School collect samples and perform water quality tests biweekly at three sites on McGowan Creek. And, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has installed a fish trap on McGowan Creek in order to begin understanding fish movement on the creek.

In the meantime, a technical team is developing the data collection, monitoring and implementation strategies. The Project is truly a collaborative project and the composition of the technical team reflects that. The team includes representatives from various state and federal agencies, local residents, and watershed council members.

We are excited about this project and look forward to working with Bonneville Environmental Foundation again!

Contact Partnership coordinator, Jared Weybright at 687-9076 or email mwp@epud.net for more information about this project. To learn more about Bonneville Environmental Foundation visit their website: www.b-e-f.org.

Back to Mohawk Watershed Partnership Home Page