Luckiamute Watershed Council

05/29/2026

💧June Watershed Species Spotlight: Western Pond Turtle 🐢

June is prime time for Western Pond Turtles in the Willamette Valley. These native turtles are most visible on sunny days in late spring and early summer as they bask on logs, rocks, and stream banks, and make sure to keep an eye out for them crossing roads near water.

These native turtles are listed as a Sensitive-Critical species in Oregon and a key component of the Oregon Conservation Strategy in the Willamette Valley. They play an important role in keeping aquatic ecosystems healthy by eating dead and decaying vegetation, cycling nutrients and helping maintain balanced wetland and stream communities.

How you can support pond turtles this summer:
🪨 Leave logs, rocks, and shoreline vegetation in place—they provide safe basking sites and shelter
🌱 Protect and restore ponds, marshes, streams, and beaver-built wetlands
🌾 Maintain connected wet and upland habitats to support turtle movement between foraging, nesting, and overwintering areas
🚫 Avoid disturbing turtles or nests, and watch pets near water

Providing safe, connected habitat across ponds, wetlands, streams, and uplands helps ensure healthy populations of Western Pond Turtles and so many of our iconic Willamette Valley species!

05/14/2026

📢 Benton County residents, Benton Soil & Water Conservation District has TWO terrific grant opportunities to help you support pollinators and remove invasive species. Deadlines for both are in early June, so make sure to check them out soon!⬇️

🐝 The Jerry Paul Native Pollinator Conservation Grant was created in honor of Jerry Paul, who was an amazing champion of native bees and conservation. This grant can provide you with funding and ongoing support to build and enhance pollinator habitat on your land. Applications are due June 8, and you can learn more and apply at https://www.bentonswcd.org/jerry-paul-native-pollinator-conservation-grant

🌿 The Invasive Species Control Grant will award up to $2K and ongoing support towards invasive species treatment or removal - including Himalayan blackberry, Scotch Broom, English hawthorn, and many other problematic invasive species. Grant applications are due on June 5, and you can find all the information you need at https://www.bentonswcd.org/2026-2027-invasive-species-control-grants

Invasive plants are a prevelant issue throughout the state of Oregon. According to the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), "the introduction of…

05/13/2026

🦋🐝🐦Come celebrate pollinators with us and Polk Soil & Water Conservation District on June 12 at beautiful Barnard Park in City of Dallas, Oregon!

Join Polk SWCD and partners for a fun and family-friendly follow-up event at the new Native Pollinator Garden in Dallas at Barnard Park! Learn about the importance of native plants and pollinators through a short garden talk, help care for the space through light weeding and installing plant identification tags, and enjoy hands-on activities for kids. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or simply curious about pollinators, this is a great opportunity to connect with nature and your community.

Families and children are especially encouraged to attend—and don’t forget to come dressed as your favorite pollinator! From bees and butterflies to hummingbirds and beetles, we can’t wait to celebrate the amazing creatures that help our ecosystems thrive.

If you plan to help with weeding, please bring your own gloves and tools.

Event Partners: Polk SWCD, Earth & Spirit Native Habitat Gardens and Purposeful Landscapes designers, The City of Dallas, Oregon and the Luckiamute Watershed Council

https://www.polkswcd.com/event/pollinator-garden-open-house/

05/11/2026

Corvallis residents, check out this terrific opportunity to get help with native vegetation for improving your streamside area! Applications are due on July 29, and all the info you need is available at https://www.corvallisoregon.gov/publicworks/page/streamside-plant-grant-program

Want to increase the native vegetation along the creek that runs behind your home? If you live in Corvallis, you might be eligible for the Streamside Plant Grant program!

Apply now to receive up to $300 in native plants to help restore streambanks, improve habitat, and shade local waterways. You can enhance your streamside property and support a healthier creek - the application is available on the city website.
https://www.corvallisoregon.gov/publicworks/page/streamside-plant-grant-program

05/01/2026

💧May Watershed Species Spotlight: Dusky-footed Wood Rat 🐀

Like their engineering cousins the beavers, dusky-footed woodrats are master builders of our forests and riparian areas. Their large stick nests—often tucked into brush piles, fallen logs, or dense shrubs—create shelter not just for woodrats, but for birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.

In May, woodrats are actively maintaining nests and raising young. These native rodents rely on intact understory vegetation and downed wood, especially along streams where cover and food are abundant. Unlike invasive rats, dusky-footed woodrats live outdoors and are not household pests.

How you can support woodrat habitat:
🌿 Leave brush, logs, and woody debris in place—especially near streams
🌱 Plant and protect shrubs like willow, snowberry, elderberry, and native blackberry
🌰 Retain oak trees, which supply acorns and long-term food sources
🚫 Avoid rodenticides that harm native wildlife

Protecting dense, messy habitat along waterways helps support the “behind the scenes” species that help hold riparian ecosystems together.

04/27/2026

On Saturday, 30 watershed community members gathered on a gorgeous spring day for a tour of a restoration project site near Falls City. Walking through the site, we learned how important a connected floodplain is to river health, and saw the early stages of a riparian forest taking shape — and already providing habitat for beaver, river otter, great blue heron, and native fish. As if on cue, a majestic bald eagle swooped low overhead as we kicked off the tour. The perfect welcome!

We are so grateful to Vicki Avery and Mike Atherton for their dedication towards restoring this section of the Little Luckiamute River and for sharing their beautiful property with us! Thank you also to all of our wonderful funders and partners: Polk Soil & Water Conservation District, Willamette Habitat Restoration Fund, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and many other agency partners and supporters.

Want to join us next time? See all upcoming Spring events at https://www.luckiamute.org/events.html

04/22/2026

🌍 Happy Earth Day, watershed community! 🌳
Last Saturday, 12 amazing volunteers tackled English ivy and invasive bird cherry at an oak grove along South Fork Ash Creek — and the results were incredible: TWO full dumpsters of plant material cleared, giving these beautiful century-old oaks room to breathe. We are so grateful for every person who showed up and got their hands dirty for this special place! 💚

Thank you also to the City of Independence, Oregon and Brandt's Sanitary Service Inc for making this work possible.

Want to join the Ash Creek restoration effort? Join the Friends of Gentle Woods on May 2 for another invasive plant removal event at Gentle Woods Park in Monmouth. All ages and experience levels welcome! https://www.luckiamute.org/friends-of-gentle-woods.html