Photo: Fall views on the Willamette near the Yamhill confluence, by Patti Hamel Brown |
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Hello Folks -
I hope you are all doing as well as can be.
After 4 years of waiting, this week the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Lab released its Willamette River Basin Toxic summary. Back in 2007, a law passed that required DEQ to increase its sampling and testing of water, sediment and animal tissue for a range of toxic substances. WR had a hand in creating this law at the time.
Due to DEQ’s lack of lab capacity, the analysis and summary dragged on for 4 years. The report highlights why organizations like WR work to reduce the presence of toxics in our river system. From legacy contaminants like DDT and PCBs, which are still found throughout the system at levels that are too high, to newer toxics like PBDEs (flame retardants), the presence of toxics in our system is all too abundant.
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The presence of these chemicals continues to heighten the need to find legacy contaminants and remove them, and to reduce the need and use of herbicides, which showed up at nearly every sampling site spanning over 187 miles of mainstem and tributaries. While many of these contaminants did not surpass established criteria for human and ecological health, at the same time the impact of the mixture of all of these substances together has been little studied, and may well be problematic. In some cases the levels were quite problematic. |
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Our overall use of toxics in our daily life is due for revision. Just a few years ago the USGS did a study in suburban creeks in the Portland area, and found a plethora of consumer chemicals. Of these, some jumped out, such as bifenthrin. While this pesticide (used to kill ants and such) is not lethal to our wild fish, it is lethal to our wild amphibians. In the name of convenience, many people seldom consider their impact on the natural world in using such substances that have the potential to harm human and ecological health.
Over the coming year WR will work to help augment the DEQ’s Lab capacity. We need additional people and additional equipment - it is really that simple, and the overall increased funding is frankly trivial compared to many things that public funds pay for. To date we have been unsuccessful in gaining ground in this regard, but we believe our persistence will pay off. Unfortunately, the “green” State of Oregon lacks the will, and backbone to make solid decisions on behalf of the natural world too frequently. This is too often the case for the Willamette River for sure.
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WR will keep pushing on this and other issues to make progress for our river. YOUR donations make the difference for us! You can sustain our ability to keep fighting the good fight! If you aren't yet a member, please consider joining us now. Your support makes all the difference for our river.
Sincerely,
Travis
Riverkeeper & Executive Director
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Today is a Give!Guide's 1st BIG GIVE Day!
If You’re 35 or Under you have twice the chance of winning, because Give!Guide is giving out a second shopping spree to one donor under the age of 36!
YOU can make a difference today!
YOUR donation directly supports our work to enforce the Clean Water Act, river based trash clean-ups, community paddles, habitat restoration and research on threatened and endangered species throughout the Willamette River Basin!
Please support the Willamette River - Oregon’s 187 Miles of Wonder! YOUR support makes a difference every day at Willamette Riverkeeper, Thank YOU!
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Wild & Scenic Film- Tickets Available NOW |
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Once again we are thrilled to be hosting the celebrated Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Thursday, December 3rd. Wild & Scenic inspires environmental activism and a love for nature through film. Join us for our unique program of 10 inspiring films, food, drink and amazing raffle prizes!
NEW: This year the fest will be presented as a live, virtual event featured on Wild & Scenic’s custom designed platform so that you can view it from the comfort of your home! Purchase a ticket and watch the fest with your “quaranTEAM,” or invite friends and family to join you virtually and connect with each other via the viewing platform’s “chat” feature.
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Make it a Dinner Date Night: Our new tiered ticket pricing offers options for adding a take-out “meal for two” in Portland with our partner Afuri Ramen, in Corvallis with our partner Tacovore, and in Eugene with our partners at Wheel Apizza Pub. Read more about our meal details here.
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Raffle: All tickets include a raffle entry, and additional raffle tickets can be purchased as well! Our prizes this year are off the charts and include incredible donations from Next Adventure, Patagonia Portland, REI and even a new-to-you Dagger Crossover kayak package! View all of our raffle prize packages here.
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THANK YOU to all of the wonderful volunteers who joined us last month for our 12th Annual Great Willamette Clean Up Series!
We hosted 29 clean ups over 31 days, from Oakridge to Portland, on foot, bike and by boat, with both public and private groups. In addition, many of you responded to our "quaranTEAM" challenge, and organized your own small clean up outings. Volunteers hauled truckloads of trash out of our river, including over 1000 used hypodermic needles. Sadly, discarded facemasks were as common as cigarette butts. It felt great to be tackling trash with our community- safely distanced and masked of course!
Check out our Instagram and Facebook pages for more images from our clean ups. We'll be reaching out to our "trash or treasure" winners this week!
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River Discovery: Willamette Falls, 11/14 |
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Join us for a River Discovery paddling adventure to the Willamette River's most impressive feature- Willamette Falls!
Located 26 miles upstream from the Willamette's confluence with the Columbia, Willamette Falls is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest by water volume. Its horseshoe shape, caused by a basalt shelf in the river floor, is 1500ft wide and 40ft high. Led by Travis Williams and WRK staff, we'll explore the area around this natural landmark, admiring scenic views and the historic locks, as well as the mark of industries past and present. Bring your own boat or reserve a Riverkeeper canoe (in which case you must recruit your own paddling partner).
*COVID safety protocols such as masks and social distancing will be implemented, and group size is limited.
WHEN: Saturday, November 14th, from 8:30am to 11:30am (arrive at 8:30am, and we'll launch by 9am)
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Volunteer For Trashy Tuesdays |
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EUGENE
WHEN: 11/10, 8:30am - 1:00pm
WHERE: Valley River Center to Beltline
BYO boat or seats in rafts available!
PORTLAND
WHEN: 11/24, 9:00am - 11:00am
WHERE: Meet at WR office in SE and walk to Springwater Corridor
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Our Restoration Team has sown a mix of native grass and wildflowers across 10 acres of Gail Achterman Natural Area, a property owned by ODFW that we have been restoring. Seeds were sown into areas where we will be planting native trees and shrubs this winter, and will help provide some weed competition as the woody plants establish over the next few years.
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