North Santiam Watershed Council

06/12/2026

06/04/2026

Last month, we were joined by sophomore students from to build a Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) in the Lower North Santiam basin 🦫🌿

For the uninitiated: Beaver Dam Analogs are human-made structures designed to mimic natural beaver dams, encouraging beaver activity and helping restore stream function. Think of them as “speed bumps” for a stream! In deeply incised channels like this one, BDAs can help slow water, capture sediment, improve water quality, and moderate stream temperatures.

Students rolled up their sleeves and participated in every aspect of the restoration process, from cutting wooden posts to size and weaving cottonwood branches to learning about floodplain mapping, soils, and vegetation surveys that help practitioners make informed decisions about where beaver might thrive.

In just a few short hours, a beautiful BDA was built! We’re excited to see how it performs once water begins flowing freely through the channel.

A huge thank-you to our partners , who joined us in the field and volunteered their time to make this project a success. We also gratefully acknowledge the Pacific Power Foundation for making this project possible through its financial support of the growth and vitality of the communities served by Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power 💚🌿

05/14/2026

We hope you’ll join us next Wednesday evening for a community open house focused on the future of wildfire recovery and restoration in the Little North Fork and Breitenbush watersheds!

As communities in these two basins continue to navigate changing landscapes, forest conditions, recreation access, and restoration priorities, we want to hear about the places that matter most to the people who live, work, and play here.

This event will include interactive maps and community input activities, information about ongoing conservation and restoration planning, opportunities to share community priorities, and good food. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

05/08/2026

May is Wildfire Awareness Month!

Join the NSWC on May 19th at the Mehama Old School Community & Youth Center for a community speaker night focused on wildfire resilience in our basin. Starting at 6pm, we'll hear from local folks working on community wildfire defense projects, prescribed fire, and other efforts that help our communities prepare, adapt, and stay connected.

This is also a great opportunity for landowners and community members to learn how to get involved with local organizations doing this work. Building resilience starts with knowing your neighbors! Refreshments will be provided, and we'll have coloring pages for kids, too.

We hope to see you there!

04/28/2026

UPDATE: Closure to begin May 4.

North Fork Road is expected to close for a landslide mitigation project near milepost 5 on May 4, 2026, and to re-open by October 31st. K&E Excavating is working with the County to construct this important project this summer.

During the closure, traffic accessing beyond MP 5 will need to use the detour route which will be Gates Hill Rd and OR-22. For more information, or to see the project page, visit our link in bio.

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day 🌱 💚!

On Saturday, the NSWC headed up to Breitenbush Hot Springs to tackle garlic mustard, and spotted Knapw**d as a part of their Earth Day festivities. In just one day, 18 volunteers hand-pulled nearly 325 lbs of invasive w**ds!

The joy of these volunteers was infectious, and the day was filled with laughter, fellowship, and admirable Earth stewardship. Thanks to their efforts, native plants now have a little more room to grow and thrive.

We’re so grateful to everyone who showed up and put in the work!

This event wouldn’t have been possible without the folks at - this w**d pull was just one piece of a broader Earth Day weekend celebration. A huge thanks as well to partners from and .marion.or for supporting the NSWC’s invasive species mitigation efforts in the Santiam Canyon and Marion County.

04/17/2026

Here is a great training opportunity coming up for anyone working to restore Oregon white oak habitat! OFRI is hosting a hands-on field day at in partnership with The Oregon Garden and others, in Silverton on April 24th. Highly recommended for landowners, land managers, forestry professionals, and conservation partners. We hope to see you there!

Oregon's oak woodlands are under pressure from invasive plants and changing conditions. Join us for a one-day training on the ecology and restoration of Oregon's oaks on Friday, April 24, in Silverton. Learn more and register by clicking on the link below.
https://www.simpletix.com/e/right-tools-right-place-combating-invasive-tickets-263334

04/13/2026

We've moved! 💙

After lots of planning (and some heavy lifting with the help of our amazing volunteers), we're excited to share that the North Santiam Watershed Council has moved into a new office space in downtown Stayton!

This space gives us more room to grow, collaborate, and continue our work for a healthier North Santiam watershed.

We hope you'll consider dropping into the new space to say hi, or join us for our next board meeting on April 21st at 6pm in the new space.

Here's to many more years of working in the North Santiam!

04/02/2026

🌿 Help us give a warm welcome to our newest team member!

Devon Schmahl joined us early this year as our new Restoration Project Manager!

Devon grew up in Washington, exploring the trails and wild places of the North Cascades, experiences that sparked her passion for protecting the natural world.

She brings a B.S. in Environmental Science from Western Washington University and a range of experience working on everything from field studies to large-scale restoration projects varying from different sectors.

In her new role, Devon will be leading our NOAA fish passage projects, helping improve fish passage, restoring habitat and reconnect waterways for fish and wildlife while engaging a variety of community members and watershed partners.

We’re so glad to have her on the team and look forward to the work ahead!

02/24/2026

Please join us tonight and provide community feedback about the North Santiam Watershed Drought Contingency Plan Update. Community feedback is needed to help update this plan to improve drought resilience and minimize the impacts of drought on the communities, economies, and natural resources in the North Santiam watershed.

To learn more about the North Santiam Drought Contingency Plan Update, how to comment and provide feedback, and/or to register via Zoom, please visit: www.santiamwater.gov/north-santiam-watershed-drought-contingency-planning.

SANTIAM CANYON COMMUNITY YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND this public meeting NEXT TUESDAY about the North Santiam Watershed Drought Contingency Plan Update. Community feedback is needed to help update this plan to improve drought resilience and minimize the impacts of drought on the communities, economies, and natural resources in the North Santiam watershed

To learn more about the North Santiam Drought Contingency Plan Update, how to comment and provide feedback, and/or to register via Zoom, please visit: www.santiamwater.gov/north-santiam-watershed-drought-contingency-planning.
**Brought to you by the North Santiam Watershed Council 👏