Coast Fork STREAM Program
(Students Trained in River Enhancement, Awareness, and Monitoring)
Walama Restoration Project is collaborating with the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council, the City of Cottage Grove in Oregon, Springfield Public School District, and four instructors from Cottage Grove schools to develop and implement a watershed preservation project focusing on one reach of city property along the Coast Fork. WRP’s goal for this project is to bridge the relationships between watershed preservation, riparian restoration, and human health.
Program Objectives:
- To work with students to conduct water quality monitoring, perform ecological assessments, and restore a reach of the river with native plants. Students will assess the ecological framework of the site and help design a restoration plan.
- Students will engage in outreach events that encourage community members to participate in and learn about watershed health by giving presentations at a Coast Fork General Council meeting. Project Coordinator and Coast Fork Coordinator will work with teachers and students to arrange the presentations.
Engaging local schools in watershed planning is fundamental in creating an educated and participatory group for future advocacy to improve rural and urban watershed health in the Upper Willamette region. In the long-term, we expect that this program will foster a more in-depth study of stormwater and other water quality issues in the Coast Fork. Students will have the expertise to generate solutions for preventing further degradation, to establish diverse riparian habitats, and to enhance the health of the Willamette River.