Dear Friend,

Happy Fall! Please read on for an update on upcoming volunteer opportunities, events, and restoration projects in your watershed.

Volunteers Needed

Volunteer Work Party @
Eastridge Church

Come help restore natural areas and remove invasive weeds that have taken a stronghold along the creek.
October 8, 2022
9 AM - 11 AM
Eastridge Church

RSVP

Volunteer Work Party @
Orchard Summit

Come help cleanup an illegal trash dumping area in the riparian zone at Orchard Summit along Rock Creek.
November 12, 2022
9 AM - 12 PM
Orchard Summit

RSVP

Volunteer Work Party @
Cross Park

Come help us remove invasive weeds at Cross Park along the Clackamas River, just upstream of the drinking water intake.
November 12, 2022
1 PM - 3 PM
Cross Park

RSVP

Down the River “Mini” Cleanups

A BIG thank you to wonderful volunteers, sponsors and partners!

As you may know, the Down the River Cleanup was cancelled due to forest fires at Milo McIver State Park. However, we did the ultimate pivot and planned four mini cleanups for each section of the river over a two week period. Thanks so amazing volunteers, we were able to clean a 22-mile stretch of the river from Milo McIver all the way to Clackamette Park. After our final Barton to Carver cleanup, we had a cookout at Barton Park to celebrate.

This event would not be possible without our partners and sponsors! Thank you to We Love Clean Rivers, Tigard Water District, Metro, Clackamas River Water Providers, Water Environment Services, eNRG Kayaking, Clackamas County Transportation and Development, Waste Management, Kahut Waste Services, Oregon City Garbage Company, Inc, Oregon City Brewing Company, Solve, Watershed, the River Ambassadors, and City of Oregon City.

Project Updates

Sieben Riverbend Side Channel Enhancement Project

The photo above shows completed construction of the newly enhanced side-channel and woody habitat structures near Sieben Creek’s confluence with the Clackamas River. This side-channel will improve juvenile rearing conditions for spring Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, and steelhead by providing them with increased access to food, shelter, and cold water refugia. Stay tuned for some drone footage!

Spooky Watershed Critters

Zombie Salmon (left image)
Photo: US Fish and Wildlife http://ow.ly/8xbI50C3ieK

The closest thing in nature to a true zombie has got to be the spawning salmon. Fueled by an insatiable urge to mate and spawn, these salmon and fight tooth and nail to make it to their spawning grounds as their bodies literally rot away. The profound changes that the spawning salmon’s body will undergo are widespread, resulting in loss of eyes, sluffing of scales and skin, and even deterioration of internal organs. But this death plays a vital role in our ecosystem, check out this article from Medium which explains the value dead salmon play - with some epically creepy images!
Medium article about Zombie Salmon

Chimney Swifts (middle image)
Photo: Greg Schechter, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

While they may look creepy in this dark chimney, swifts are actually pretty cute. These cigar-shaped birds make extraordinary insect-eater as they race around the sky at dusk and dawn. Right now, native swifts are beginning their long journey to South America, where they will overwinter until next spring. The Audubon Society has created a new Bird Migration Explorer which just launched last month! You can find the link to the interactive digital platform below and track movement of various birds through migration:
Bird Migration Explorer

Hoary Bat (right image)
Image: Daniel Neal, CC BY 2.0, Via Wikimedia Commons

Bats have been associated with creepiness and are usually on the shortlist of spooky animals. Some consider them disease factories that suck blood and fly around in the cover of darkness to hide their nefarious activities. But just look at that face! Precious. Bats of course are just misunderstood and are a vital piece of our natural world. Bats are bug eaters and pollinators and are probably more terrified of us than we are of them. The Oregon Conservation Strategy has listed the Hoary Bat as a species of Concern, read more below:
Hoary Bat - Oregon Conservation Strategy

Take the Pledge - Get a Free Sign

Pesticide Pledge

CRBC takes part in water quality monitoring in the Clackamas basin. According to DEQ lab analysis, pesticides are regularly found in our local streams, sometimes above safe aquatic benchmarks. Please take our pledge to be pesticide free or wise and we will send you a free sign!
Note: Must live within the Clackamas basin.

Learn More

Support Our Mission

CRBC has planted hundreds of thousands of trees and shrubs in the watershed and continues to work for clean water, healthy habitats, and improved quality of life for all of us who live and work in the Clackamas River basin.

But we can’t do this without support from our partners, and people like you! Your support helps us make a lasting difference right here in the Clackamas Basin. Thank you for all that you do.

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