Luckiamute Watershed Council

10/12/2026

On Indigenous Peoples Day, we honor the Kalapuya people of this watershed, past and present.

For more than 9,000 years before Europeans settled in the Willamette Valley, the Luckiamute (Lakmiut) band of Kalapuya lived along the Luckiamute River and its tributaries, tending the landscape that sustained them. Disease, treaty promises that went unkept, and removal to the Grand Ronde Reservation devastated their communities and uprooted them from their homeland, but the story did not end there. Today, Kalapuya descendants are enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and continue to steward the lands and waters of this region.

We’re grateful to do our work in this watershed, and we’re committed to learning from and listening to Tribal communities as we work toward a healthy watershed for the future. To read more about the history of our watershed, and to find links to the Tribes’ websites, visit https://www.luckiamute.org/history-of-our-watershed.html

10/06/2026

We hope you’ll join us for our bi-monthly LWC board meeting this Thursday, October 8 from 6–8pm! We'll be meeting in-person at Pedee Women's Club on Kings Valley Highway, or you can stay at home and participate via Zoom. Come get all the latest watershed and watershed council news!
Location info, Zoom details, and the agenda are available at https://www.luckiamute.org/monthly-meeting-details.html

10/01/2026

Ever wondered what ancient, jawless fish and fall garden planning have in common? They’re both featured in our Fall issue of Meanderings! 🍂🐟

Dive into our latest newsletter to learn how our upcoming restoration work on North Fork Pedee Creek will help create vital habitat for native salmon and lamprey. Plus, you'll also find info and dates for native plant sales happening near you!

Read the latest Meanderings at https://www.luckiamute.org/lwc-newsletter.html

10/01/2026

🦂October Watershed Species Spotlight: Forest Scorpion

With Halloween just a few weeks away, meet one of the watershed's most surprising (and misunderstood) residents: the forest scorpion. Despite its spooky appearance, this little arachnid is nothing to fear — it's shy, slow-moving, and would much rather play dead or hide than sting.

Forest scorpions spend their days tucked under logs, bark, and leaf litter, only coming out at night to hunt insects and other small invertebrates. Fun fact: like all scorpions, they glow under UV light! If you ever go on a nighttime blacklight walk in the forest, keep an eye out for a faint greenish glow in the leaf litter.

Though they're easy to overlook, forest scorpions play a quiet role in the forest floor food web, and healthy, undisturbed habitat is essential to their survival.

How you can help protect their habitat this fall:
🪵Leave logs, bark, and leaf litter undisturbed on the forest floor
🔦 If you go blacklighting for scorpions, look but don't touch or collect
🚶Stick to trails to avoid trampling forest floor habitat

Thank you for doing your part to protect native scorpions and all the small creatures that keep our watersheds healthy and vibrant! 🙏

09/23/2026

📢 Central School District educators — Ash Creek Water Control District is offering $1,000 Educational Enrichment Grants for the 2026–2027 school year, and there's no deadline — apply whenever you're ready! Grants support projects connected to stream health, flood management, native plants and wildlife, and drainage basin education. More details and the application are on the ACWCD website:
https://www.ashcreekwcd.com/grants-new-no-deadline

09/18/2026

🐟 Grab a drink and join us on October 14, for the first Sips 'n' Science of the season with fish biologist Tony Spitzack! We'll explore the salmon and lamprey that call our watershed home, including their habitat needs, what they've lost and what it'll take for them to thrive again. A HUGE thank you to Consumer Powers Charitable Trust for helping to fund a complimentary appetizer buffet, starting at 6pm! RSVP today at https://www.luckiamute.org/salmon-lamprey-sips.html

09/11/2026

🌱 Help us celebrate the arrival of Fall by joining one of five upcoming volunteer opportunities! From mulching native plants to joining road and river clean-ups, to joining LWC staff at our table during the Hops & Heritage Festival, we've got some great ways for you to get involved and give back to the watershed!

👉 See all five upcoming opportunities and sign up: https://mailchi.mp/luckiamute/upcoming-volunteer-events-fall2026

09/09/2026

🐟 Registration is now open for our guided salmon habitat walk along Plunkett Creek! Join LWC and ODFW Fish Biologist Reed Fischer at Beazell Memorial Forest on Sat, Oct 3 to explore what salmon and lamprey need to thrive. Details and RSVP at https://www.luckiamute.org/plunkett-creek-tour.html

09/04/2026

🐢 We love seeing Scott Youngblood — manager of Luckiamute State Natural Area and an LWC Board Member — out talking pond turtles! Western pond turtles are a declining native species, and the surveys happening right here at LSNA are a great example of the kind of on-the-ground work protecting them.

09/04/2026

📢 Our friends over at Polk SWCD are looking for their next District Manager! If you or someone you know is a great leader passionate about local conservation, check out the opening and apply at https://www.polkswcd.com/employment/

📣 We are looking for an experienced leader to serve as our next District Manager. This is a unique opportunity to lead a respected organization, strengthen our impact, and work with staff, partners, landowners, and the community to advance the District’s mission.

📆 Apply by September 18th.

Find out more: https://www.polkswcd.com/employment/