McKenzie Watershed Council

06/01/2026

It’s an exciting day on the McKenzie River, where in-stream work season begins on the third phase of the South Fork Floodplain Reconnection Project. So, what does it take to reconnect the floodplain? A collaborative effort at landscape scale!

Building on more than a decade of collaborative restoration work in the McKenzie subbasin, this project brings together the USDA Forest Service, the McKenzie Watershed Council (MWC), Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), and McKenzie River Trust (MRT) to implement the third phase of Lower South Fork McKenzie River Valley Reconnection Project. Additional project management and in-water work support are being provided by the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council (UDWC) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) respectively. With a total project cost of approximately $6.4 million, the effort is funded through a combination of federal, state, and local investments, including support from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the USDA Forest Service.

The project is part of a broader, basin-wide effort to restore floodplain connectivity across the Middle McKenzie River system, where partners have already completed several large-scale restoration projects and have more planned in the coming years.

“The scale of this work reflects the strength of our partnerships,” said Darren Cross, McKenzie River District Ranger. “By working together, we’re able to restore entire river systems in ways that wouldn’t be possible individually.”

Throughout the summer, crews will work to reconnect the river to its surrounding valley. This includes redistributing sediment, placing large wood, and reactivating dormant side channels to give the river room to spread out, slow down, and follow its natural processes once again.

Community members may see increased activity in the project area during this time, including heavy equipment and temporary access changes. Efforts are being made to ensure public safety and minimize impacts to people and wildlife.

Check back throughout the summer for project updates and every !

05/26/2026

Join Oregon State University Extension - Lane County and the McKenzie Watershed Council for a field tour of large-scale restoration projects in the McKenzie River watershed, covering topics like riparian forest, floodplains, habitat restoration, and water quality.

Saturday, June 6, from 9 am - 12 pm
Finn Rock Landing, Vida OR
Fee: $5 (scholarships are available by request!)

Register online: beav.es/fw7

In cooperation with Lane County Small Woodlands Association and Lane Families for Farms & Forests .

05/20/2026

Join OSU Extension and the McKenzie Watershed Council for a field tour of large-scale restoration projects in the McKenzie River watershed, covering topics like riparian forest, floodplains, habitat restoration, and water quality.
Saturday, June 6, from 9 am - 12 pm
Finn Rock Landing, Vida OR
Fee: $5 (scholarships are available by request!)
Register online at beav.es/fw7
In cooperation with Lane County Small Woodlands Association and Lane Families for Farms & Forests

Join OSU Extension and the McKenzie Watershed Council for a field tour of large-scale restoration projects in the McKenzie River watershed, covering topics like riparian forest, floodplains, habitat restoration, and water quality.

Saturday, June 6, from 9 am - 12 pm
Finn Rock Landing, Vida OR
Fee: $5 (scholarships are available by request!)
Register online at beav.es/fw7

In cooperation with Lane County Small Woodlands Association and Lane Families for Farms & Forests

05/12/2026

Don't forget to join us for the second spring naturescaping workshop! We'll be in Leaburg next Thurs (5/21) at 6pm for another great presentation from PWP's Landscape Designer on how to design and tend a beautiful garden of native plants. 🪻🌺🌻
https://www.facebook.com/events/1597866548106965

Send a message to learn more

05/06/2026

This , the McKenzie Watershed Council and EWEB are back with more ! We’re exploring one answer to the question: “Why reconnect the floodplain?” It's also – so we’re focusing on how reconnecting the floodplain can improve water quality!

The McKenzie River in particular is the sole source of drinking water for 200,000 people in the Eugene area – and it is an excellent source. It’s exceptionally clear most of the time – but during storms, rains can pull sediments down from the hillsides and into the waterways.

Land management practices over the last 150 years have changed the shape of our river valleys. Rivers should naturally flood the valley floor, forming braided wetland complexes with cool, slow-moving waters. But by confining rivers into single-thread river systems to protect roads, bridges, homes and other infrastructure, rivers become more like fire hoses that transport sediments downstream. When water is no longer allowed to connect to its floodplains, it loses the chance to slow down and let sediments to drop out or get filtered through downed wood and plants.

By reconnecting the river to its floodplain, we’re helping the river spread out and dissipate its energy across the floodplain. By slowing water down, sediment drops out and settles into the riverbed, protecting the McKenzie’s crystal-clear waters and reducing the need for EWEB to add as many chemicals to remove sediments as part of the drinking water filtration process.

In other words, by reconnecting the river to its floodplain, we’re restoring its natural filtration processes! Not only do we lower the cost for drinking water treatment, but we support water quality for all the people, fish, plants, birds, and bugs that we share the McKenzie with!

The image shows an in-stream photo from Phase 1 of the South Fork Floodplain Reconnection Project, completed in 2018. Wood crisscrosses the river, whose waters are clear enough to see aquatic plants growing below the surface.

Follow along throughout the summer for project updates and every !
s.forestservice

05/01/2026

Big things are happening on the South Fork McKenzie River this summer! This video shows the results of Phase 1, completed in 2018. The South Fork Floodplain Reconnection Project - Phase 3 begins this month, launching a multi-partner effort to reconnect flowing water to more than 335 acres across 1.8 miles of the river’s historic floodplain.

The USDA Forest Service Willamette National Forest, in partnership with McKenzie Watershed Council, Eugene Water & Electric Board, and McKenzie River Trust will begin implementing the Lower South Fork McKenzie River Valley Reconnection Project – Phase 3, building on more than a decade of collaborative restoration work in the McKenzie basin. The project will take place upstream of Blue River, Oregon, along Forest Service Road 19.

So, why reconnect the floodplain? Working together to restore natural river processes will improve:
💧 water quality
🐟 fish habitat, and
🤝 community resilience.

The McKenzie River is the source of drinking water for approximately 200,000 people in the Eugene area. The area includes rich habitat for spring Chinook salmon, bull trout, and other native species. Over time, the South Fork McKenzie River has been cut off from its floodplain. These changes have led to faster-moving water, less complex habitat, and diminished capacity for water storage during extreme rain, increasing risk of flooding in the area.

Slowing flows and spreading them out across the floodplain will help to contain sediment churned up during storm events – the greatest contributor of contamination to the McKenzie River. In addition to benefitting water quality, the project will enhance habitat for ESA-listed species and other native wildlife, while also improving the river system’s resilience to wildfire and climate impacts.

Preliminary site work, including staging, is already underway. In-water restoration activities will begin in June, with construction continuing through the summer and project completion anticipated in early September.

Check back throughout the summer for project updates and every !

04/07/2026

The upcoming McKenzie Watershed Council meeting will feature a presentation from Lara Colley (MWC), Carla Rothenbuecher (USFS), and John Trimble (MRT) on the upcoming floodplain reconnection project on the South Fork McKenzie River. The meeting is scheduled for April 9th, at McKenzie Fire & Rescue (42870 McKenzie Hwy) in Leaburg. The presentation will run from 5:25pm - 6:15pm, we encourage any interested members of the public to join!

03/04/2026

Please be advised: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is planning to release flow pulses from Cougar Dam on the South Fork McKenzie River as soon as Friday, March 6th for up to five days. The release will result in higher and faster-moving water for up to five days, which will create potentially hazardous conditions for recreational users and may cause minor inundation in low-lying areas downstream of the dam to the confluence of the South Fork McKenzie and the mainstem McKenzie Rivers.

The increased flows will help move juvenile spring Chinook salmon and bull trout downstream, supporting ongoing fish passage efforts in the McKenzie River Basin. The water releases are also intended to activate recently restored side channels and floodplain areas, which improves the ecosystem and creates better rearing habitat for fish.

While these releases are within the dam's standard operational range, they do not coincide with naturally occurring higher inflows. Recreators who are used to a lower river and no significant rain may be surprised by the rapid increase in flow.

02/12/2026

11/26/2025

Are you interested in joining our team? We're currently hiring a Fiscal and Administrative Specialist. Find the full position descriptions in the link below!

Fiscal and Administration Specialist - Open