the Clackamas

CURRENT NEWS
the newsletter of the Clackamas River Basin Council Spring 2010 edition

This issue’s highlights: Annual meeting showcases special guests,

Page salmon, silent auction
Annual Meeting features 1 On an unseasonably sunny Saturday in February, Council
plan for Lower Columbia members, staff, and their families came together at the Sabin-
Schellenberg Professional Technical Center in Milwaukie to
Carcass toss a stinky 2 celebrate the year’s accomplishments. Attendees were treated
success to a salmon dinner catered by the students at the Sabin-
Schellenberg Center, invited to bid on silent auction items, and
Clear Creek gets a boost 2 were one of the first audiences to hear a presentation about the Gilbert Shibley (L) received
Lower Columbia River Conservation and Recovery Plan. Sue the Cole Gardiner
Stewardship award
CRBC receives funds for Knapp from Governor’s Natural Resource
3
watershed model Office and Kevin Goodson from the Oregon
Department of Fish & Wildlife shared a draft LCRCRP plan with the
CRBC promotes pesticide 3 audience. The plan should act as a roadmap to provide guidance for
safety restoring populations of salmon and steelhead in
the Lower Columbia watershed.
Invasive weed surveys 3
underway CRBC also paid homage to several volunteers.
Gary Guttridge was honored for his service as a
Funds from DEQ support Dick Jones, winner
4 of the Outstanding member of the 2009 Executive Committee,
water quality maintaining a fully functioning bioswale at the
Support award
new Estacada Library and for championing Cole
Guest column: Christy Carl 4 Gardiner to become a recipient of the Field & Stream Hero of
Conservation. Gilbert Shibley was recognized for his diverse
Watershed hikes are back! 5 service to the Council as Chair for two years, participation in the Cole Gardiner speaks
Lower Columbia River Conservation & Recovery Plan creation, while accepting the
Thalweg award
PSU programs gearing up 5 input as a PIP Team member and assistance in grant applications
for summertime that funded restoration projects. Dick Jones was recognized with the
Outstanding Support Award for his effective advocacy at the local,
CRBC welcomes new staff 6 County, and State levels; developing a legacy for riparian planting to
and volunteers create tributary shade; leadership as
Council Chair for 4 years; and service as
Sponsor thank-you 7 liaison with the Clackamas River Water
Providers. Cole Gardiner was credited for
Calendar of events 8 his lifetime of service to CRBC and all of its
critters, and the Clackamas County Soil
Patti Jarrett with and Water Conservation District was
Fostering partnerships
a Certificate of
for clean water and to improve thanked for its constancy as a conservation
Recognition
fish and wildlife habitat for partner. CRBC would also like to thank all Gary Guttridge (L) was honored
those who live, work, and of our donors and sponsors (Council member Lowell Hanna’s with the Stevens River Watch
recreate in the Clackamas pottery was the most-sought item of the silent auction), and Award, presented by Michael
watershed. invite you to attend next year! Weinberg (R)
 CRBC tackles several projects
on Clear Creek
Clear Creek’s location in the watershed
What’s slimy, nutritious, and stinky all over?
The answer might surprise you :
thousands of pounds of salmon
carcasses! However, these dead fish are
just what the watershed doctor ordered
for several Clackamas River tributaries.
Historically, as thousands of salmon
made their way upstream, spawned,
and died, their bodies acted as a sort of
natural fertilizer for streams. The
carcasses provided nutrients and a food
source for young fish and terrestrial and
aquatic creatures, as well. However,
due to declining fish populations, An excited student volunteer
upstream tribs are now lacking in vital
nutrients.

Clear Creek is one of the Clackamas River’s main
tributaries, and enters the Clackamas from the
south, near Carver. Features of this sub-
watershed include mixed conifer, mountain
hemlock, and Ponderosa Pine-White Oak
vegetation types, ecoregions ranging from
Prairie Terraces to Valley foothills, and land uses
including Christmas tree and small acreage
farms alike.
In order to increase upstream nutrients, CRBC worked with the
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Sandy River Basin
Council, SOLV, and the US Forest Service to place over 60,000
pounds of salmon carcasses along 25 miles of stream. These
carcasses were donated for this purpose by local hatcheries, after
they’d already made donations to food banks. Salmon tossed
downstream of the falls also had their tails cut, so that they would
not be confused with native salmon during carcass counts
conducted by biologists.

Clear Creek is also the site of several current

and past projects. In the fall of 2009, an 18-inch
abandoned water pipe that was considered the Creek’s number one barrier to fish
passage was removed. This project, which was funded by the US Forest Service and
achieved through collaboration with the OR Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, private landowner
Anthony Farasy, and Aquatic
Contractors, will provide access to 64.6
more miles of stream for salmonids in
search of habitat.

CRBC has also received OWEB funding

to install large woody debris at a
number of sites along Clear Creek.
Large woody debris is important for
The abandoned pipe streams for several reasons. The
debris provides a place for young
salmon to hide from predators, helping them increase their chances
of survival to adulthood. As the debris breaks down, it provides
food for stream-dwelling benthic macroinvertebrates, a food source Large woody debris placed under a bridge at Cedarhurst
neighborhood
for aquatic and terrestrial creatures alike. The debris also increases
“habitat complexity,” making the stream better living space for fish
and other animals. For more information about Clear Creek, you can visit the CRBC website’s page on the sub-
watershed, visit http://www.clackamasriver.org/basins/clear/index.htm
2
 CRBC to create watershed model this summer
The Clackamas Basin isn’t always easy to familiarize oneself with — the watershed is diverse, including sub-watersheds,
un-named tributaries, fish passage barriers, National Forests, and supports multiple land uses and recreational
opportunities. It can also be tricky to even attempt to explain what a watershed is: according to a National Geographic
poll, 65% of Americans believe a watershed and a wetland are the same thing. The easiest way to figure out which
watershed you’re in is to ask yourself “If a drop of rain
fell on the ground I’m standing on, which river would it If you’re interested in getting involved
flow into?” This exercise helps people to link the with researching or creating a Clackamas
watershed concept to land, which is helpful, as a watershed model, please email Becki at
watershed’s technical definition is usually something rebecca@clackamasriver.org!
along the lines of “a land mass whose runoff drains to a
common body of water.”

CRBC believes our community members are more knowledgeable than the “average,” but could still benefit from seeing
the watershed in three dimensions. We’ve recently received funds from the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries
Society to create our very own watershed model specific to the Clackamas. This portable display will be taken to
community events and loaned to interested environmental organizations. In addition to using the display to model the
watershed, CRBC is hoping to include data about fish passage barriers, fish hatcheries, and fish runs in the region.

For more information on the National Geographic poll: http://www.olentangywatershed.org/files/WAP/AppendixM.pdf

Ever been confused by a pesticide Look out, weeds!

label?
CRBC is here to help!
With funding and support from the Clackamas River
Water Providers, we’ve created a series of four fact
sheets to target different groups of pesticide users, as
well as a fact sheet devoted to providing helpful tips for
homeowners trying to decipher the rules and guidelines
on the label itself. These tips can help you save money
— some products have the exact same “active
ingredients,” but one brand can charge more based on
name recognition alone. Following label guidelines can
also keep you from applying too much pesticide — the
“more is better” mentality definitely doesn’t translate
when it comes to pesticide use. Using fewer pesticides
and applying them in a responsible manner will help
keep our drinking water clean, our homes safe, and our
salmon runs happy.
If you’d like to receive a free
consultation, contact CRBC!
We are currently offering voluntary pesticide reduction
consultations, and would be happy to speak to you
about finding solutions to any invasive species
problems you may have. Call or email CRBC to schedule!
All of our contact information is located on the back of
this newsletter.
CRBC partners with SWCD to provide information on
unwanted weeds in the Clackamas basin
By the time this newsletter arrives in your mailbox, CRBC
staff will be hard at work monitoring invasive weeds in the
watershed through the Soil and Water Conservation
District’s WeedWise program. Staff member Damon
Pellicori will be facilitating surveys of invasive plants at
sites visited by CRBC, as
well as establishing three
“reference sites” to study
how weed populations
change over time.
CRBC’s invasive monitoring
efforts are supported by
the SWCD and emphasize CRBC will collect data on plants
the collaboration necessary such as this garlic mustard.
to ascertain and combat Image courtesy OR Dept of Agriculture.
the problem of invasive
plants in our watershed. This project will generate insight
into how invasive species come to dominate an area.
CRBC will also be collecting valuable data about the
prevalence of specific weeds in Clackamas County. As we
survey invasive weeds, we’ll share information about how
to control those pesky plants! Individuals are also
encouraged to report sightings of invasives at
http://oregoninvasiveshotline.org/ !
3
 Thanks, DEQ!
CRBC to engage in water quality sampling,
riparian planting, landowner outreach
As a non-profit organization, much of what we do at
CRBC is based on what grant funding we’re currently
operating under. We’re quite excited to announce that
we’ve purchased high-quality water sampling tools with
funds awarded by DEQ!
Over the course of the summer, CRBC will collect data on
dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, turbidity,
temperature, and chlorophyll. We’ll also be coordinating
meetings of the Clackamas Water Quality Pesticide
Management Team. This effort will include collecting
samples to send to a lab that will test for the presence of
pesticides and assembling this data on our website. This
program is being overseen by Damon Pellicori — contact
him at damon@clackamasriver.org if you have questions.
A layperson’s guide to water quality terms
Chlorophyll measurements will indicate how much
algae is present in water. High chlorophyll values can
indicate excess nutrients from fertilizer.
Conductivity measures how easily water can conduct
electricity through determining the amount of dissolved
ions in water. Salt water, with its high mineral content,
has a higher conductivity rating than the water from your
tap. Healthy fresh water should have low conductivity.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is essential to support healthy
aquatic life, which depends on adequate DO to breathe.
pH measurements help to establish if water is acidic,
neutral, or basic. Healthy water is typically close to
neutral (a pH of 7) or slightly above.
Turbidity readings measure how cloudy water is, and
indicate how much sediment could be in the stream.
Lower turbidity indicates cleaner water.
Temperature is of great concern to native aquatic life.
Warmer water doesn’t hold as much DO, and can lead to
fish stress or death.
Education & Outreach Coordinator Becki Walker will
oversee the riparian planting and landowner outreach
portions of the grant. She’ll be working with landowners
to remove invasive species and re-plant natives along one
half-mile of streambank. In addition, she’ll be
4 coordinating how the information gleaned from
4 these programs will be publicized.
Village Free School students help to
improve habitat on Deep Creek
A guest column by Christy Carl
Village Free School students, under the direction of teacher
Catherine Klebl, have adopted a tree planting and care project
on Deep Creek to assist with forest and salmon restoration. In
December 2009 Heather, Wyatt, Storey, Angelika, Yeva,
Veridian, and Catherine planted 50 seedlings along Deep Creek
on the property of Christy Carl and Ron Hays in Eagle Creek.
The seedlings were donated by CRBC, and added to the several
hundred already planted by Carl and CRBC. In March,
Catherine returned with students and spent 3 hours checking
on the trees planted in the fall, clearing weeds, and
planting an additional 19 trees. On this trip were students
Sabine, Gelli, and Katie as well as intern Roc and teacher Cat.
Only three of the trees planted during the fall had died!
Regular field trips into the community and nature are part of
Cat's weekly offerings at the school. As she says: “Planting the
trees drew a variety of students as it ties in with several
projects going on at school. Sabine, Yeva and Gelli started the
Earth Helping Scouts a few years ago. This group has cleaned
up trash in the neighborhood as well as set up and maintain
the school's compost system, complete with a large worm bin.
Besides being delighted to do another thing to ‘help the earth’
they loved investigating Christy's worm bin. In our herbalism
class we study plant identification and traditional healing uses
of plants. There were many familiar and new plants for us to
see in the forest.”
On the way back to the school one of the students wrote the
following for the school weekly newsletter:
• We planted 19 trees (cedar, fir, hemlock)
• We checked on (and weeded around) the trees the other
group planted (in Dec)
• We played on the trampoline
• We got shocked (on the electric fence)
• We had too much fun
• We found a bird nest
• We played with dogs
The Village Free School is an independent, democratic school
with a mixed aged student body of fifty 5 - 18 year olds. The
students are free to design their own learning experiences and
split their time between free form time with their friends,
classes and projects offered by staff, and independent
endeavors. The school aims to expose students to a wide
variety of experiences that will stimulate their natural drive to
learn about the school around them, learn how to live as
members of a community, and find their place in it as
individuals. Catherine and her students plan to return later in
the spring to again check on their trees and to weed and
fertilize. They are hoping to see the beaver at some point and
return in the fall to see the spawning salmon. Thank you
Village Free School students!
 Dust off your hiking boots!
Would you like to spend some quality time exploring our watershed this summer?
Consider signing up to attend Council member Bryon Boyce’s guided hikes.

Familiarize yourself with the beautiful Clackamas River Basin! Be sure to bring
along lunch, water, a camera, sunscreen and/or insect repellant. Hikers should
wear clothing that’s weather-appropriate and good footgear. All tours meet at
the Estacada Ranger Station parking lot (595 NW Industrial Way, Estacada) at
8:30 a.m. sharp. Be sure to RSVP to Becki at rebecca@clackamasriver.org if
you’d like to attend.

June 27th — Pansy Basin & Lake: This glacial valley hosts very large old
growth trees, waterfalls, two lakes, meadows full of wildflowers and a mysterious A photo from a past hike at Camassia Park
disappearing stream. A short but steep optional side trip leads from the former
horse camp to an interesting old mine shaft. The moderate hike of 2.8 miles has an elevation gain of 1000 feet.

July 11th — Mt. Lowe: This tour has positively the shortest hike for the biggest payoff - views of miles-wide valleys
and an endless series of ridges and peaks seen from a 5335 ft. former lookout site. Included are Mounts Hood and
Jefferson, Olallie Butte, and many lesser peaks, along with most of the Clackamas River Watershed. This hike is rated
easy due to its brevity and limited 200 foot elevation gain. Half a mile of walking with a gradual climb to the peak,
though an optional doubling of that distance will add views of cliffs and boulder fields and yet more wildflowers.

July 18th — Bull of the Woods: Expect an array of wildflowers and wide-ranging views on this 6.4 mile round-trip
hike. Natural gardens and meadows are seen as we pass over to the shoulders of Dickey and South Dickey Peak to Bull
of the Woods Lookout at 5523 ft. The lookout was built in 1942 and is the only surviving one from the WWII era in the
Mount Hood National Forest. There is an 825 ft. elevation gain, which makes for a moderate hike.

SWRP & Snapshot programs gearing up for summertime

CRBC has been partnering with Portland State University to Would you be willing to let PSU
coordinate our Student Watershed Research Project (SWRP) and students sample water in your creek?
Snapshot programs since 2003. The SWRP project engages local Contact CRBC and we’ll coordinate
your participation!
high school students in sampling water chemistry, macroinvertebrate
populations, vegetation, and several other indicators of stream health.
Samples are collected in both October and April so that high– and low-flows can be compared. These students gave
their annual presentation at Portland State University on May 21, 2010.
For more information, visit the SWRP website at
www.swrp.esr.pdx.edu/

The summer snapshot water quality program is part of a senior

An educational booth at A Day in Damascus.
Capstone class offered by Portland State. College students engage with
local landowners to collect water samples and macroinvertebrate data
on their property. The data helps to provide a “snapshot” of water
quality in the watershed on the day the samples are taken. The
students then compile those results into a newsletter, present their
findings at a council meeting, and create an educational display at a Day
in Damascus each summer. Please consider allowing the students to
sample at your property — more landowners means a more
complete picture of water quality! 5
 1,000 miles of watershed is a lot of ground to cover. Though
CRBC’s three staff members do all they can to help keep the
Clackamas River Basin healthy, they need your help!

There are plenty of options for volunteering. CRBC’s

Image courtesy oregonlive.com
and Save Our Wild Salmon
CRBC WANTS YOU
regularly scheduled First Saturday Work Parties offer you the
opportunity to get dirty while cleaning up the water. We’re
always in need of help with office work like file and database
organization. If you’re into arts and crafts, consider
volunteering to help us construct our watershed model.
Perhaps public speaking is more your style? Consider joining
CRBC at a community event — we’d love to have you assist
in staffing a booth!

TO VOLUNTEER FOR YOUR WATERSHED To volunteer, contact Becki Walker, Education & Outreach
Coordinator.

Welcome, Damon! Thanks, Jean! Great job, Andrew!

CRBC welcomed new Conservation This winter and spring, CRBC was
Programs Coordinator Damon lucky enough to be host a student
The Basin Council wouldn’t be
Pellicori to our organization in intern from Clackamas Middle
able to accomplish as much as we
December, 2009. Damon holds an College. Andrew Herrera has
do without the help of dedicated
M.S. in Geoscience and a B.S. in dedicated over 40 hours’ worth of his
volunteers. That’s why we’re so
Geology. His career has been based weekend time over the past few
thrilled that Jean Lensch began
in water resources, including months to engaging in a variety of
volunteering for us in December!
geochemical studies of natural and CRBC projects, and plans to continue
Jean’s impressive list of
impacted stream systems, watershed even though he’s completed his
contributions includes attending
monitoring activities, and internship. Though Andrew’s work
work parties, helping to supervise
hydrology. He has also worked with has primarily focused on some of
salmon carcass tosses, working to
stream flow restoration and water CRBC’s dirtier and smellier aspects,
organize our contacts database,
right transactions while forging such as tossing salmon carcasses,
sorting plants at our storage
collaborations with landowners, removing Himalayan blackberry, and
facility, preparing mailings, and
agencies, and partners to accomplish planting native trees, he’s always kept
representing CRBC at other
projects benefitting native fish. You a smile on his face. Thanks again for
volunteer events. We’re lucky to
can
6 get in touch with him at all your effort, Andrew!
have her on board!
6 damon@clackamasriver.org.
 Would you like to be a part of CRBC?
Consider making a charitable donation to the Basin Council
today — all donations are highly appreciated and tax-
deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
You can also donate on our website via PayPal!
The Campaign for Water, Parks, and Wildlife
By the time this newsletter has gone to print, you may have been
asked to sign a petition for the Campaign for Water, Parks, and
Wildlife to get a measure on the 2010 ballot. This is a
reauthorization of a previously-passed measure that provides
funding for watershed councils, state parks, and natural areas
from the Oregon Lottery. The campaign is being spearheaded by
The Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land, Defenders of
Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, and the Oregon Recreation and Park
Association, among others.
This important measure will:
• Continue to protect and restore clean water in Oregon's
rivers, lakes and streams
• Preserve natural areas and wildlife habitats that are an
important part of Oregon's natural heritage, economy
and quality of life
• Improve and expand state and local parks, enabling
Oregon families to enjoy nature and the outdoors close
to home.
• Preserve federal matching funds in Oregon that would
otherwise go to other states
• Renew Oregon's only dedicated fund for water, parks
and wildlife, with no increase in taxes, and no cuts to
other vital services.
Signing this measure is a great way to show your support for
the good work these funds support. Watershed councils
generate $1.13 for every dollar received from State funding,
making this a sound investment!
For more information, visit www.waterparkswildlife.org
Stay connected with CRBC!
If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all that we’re doing,
check us out online.
Our Twitter handle is ClackamasRiver
You can also be our fan on Facebook!
And of course, you can always
check out our website at www.clackamasriver.org,
join our e-mail listserv,
or give our office a call at (503) 558-0550.
Many thanks
to our partners and donors:
Adventures Without Limits, AIRE, Alder Creek Canoe &
Kayak, All Star Rafting, Altitude Essentials, American Canoe
Association, American Medical Response, AmeriCorps,
Backyard Bird Shop, Benchmade, Biokleen, Boring Park
Commission, Clackamas County (CC), CC Dept of
Transportation & Development, CC Marine Sheriff, CC
Parks, CC Soil & Water Conservation District, CC Water
Environment Services, Cheryl & Paul McGinnis, City of
Damascus, City of Estacada, City of Happy Valley, City of
Lake Oswego, City of Milwaukie, Clackamas Community
College, Clackamas County (CC) Board of Commissioners,
Clackamas Emergency Services Foundation, Clackamas Fire
Dist #1, Clackamas High School (HS), Clackamas River Water
Providers, Clackamas River Water, CM Meyer, Columbia
Sportswear, Concordia University, Damascus Civic Club,
Dave Albrecht, DeAngelo’s Catering, Dump Stoppers, Eagle
Creek Barton CPO, Eagle Creek Elementary School, Earlean
Marsh, EcoMetro, EcOZone, eNRG Kayaking, Estacada HS,
Estacada Library, Friends of Clyde Rice, Friends of Tickle
Creek, Grand Central Bakery, Gregory Backpacks, Happy
Valley ES, Heart in Oregon, Irwin-Hodson Company,
Jacqueline Tommas, John Inskeep Learning Center, KEEN
footwear, Lafuma, Latitudes Printing, LINKS Program,
Lowell Hanna Studios, Maravia, Meat is Good For You,
Metro, Mississippi Studios, Mountain Hardwear, Mt Hood
Community College Youth Employability Support Services,
Mt. Hood Territory, MTI Adventurewear, National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation, Network Redux, New Seasons Market,
Next Adventure, NOAA, Noah’s Bagels, NRS, NW Rafters
Association, NW Steelheaders, Oak Lodge Water Dist., OR
Dept. of Agriculture, OR Dept. of Environmental Quality,
OR Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, OR Dept. of Forestry, OR Kayak
& Canoe Club, OR State Lottery®, OR State Parks, OR Trout,
OR Watershed Enhancement Board, OR Whitewater
Association, OR Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Osprey
Packs, OSU Extension, OSU Sea Grant, Palm, Patagonia,
Patterson Nursery, PGE, Portland State University, Rack
Attack, RAZ Transportation, REI, Riot Kayaks, River
Connection, River Network, Ruff Wear, Safeway, Sah-Hah
Lee Golf Course, Sandy WC, Sckavone’s Neighborhood
Restaurant, Shadowridge Neighborhood Association, Siri &
Sons Farms, Sleepy Hollow Tree Farm, Smith Optics, SOLV,
SOTAR, South Fork Water Board, Spring Mountain ES, St.
Croix Paddlesports, Stone Cliff Inn, Student Watershed
Research Project (SWRP at PSU), Stumptown Coffee
Roasters, Sunrise Water Authority, Teresa Collins LMT, The
North Face, Three Rivers Land Conservancy, Timberline, US
Forest Service, US Geological Survey, Water Environment
Services, We Love Clean Rivers, Werner Paddles, West Linn
HS, Whitewater Designs, and Yakima.
7
 Calendar of Upcoming Events
There’s a way for anyone who’s interested to become involved with CRBC. If you represent a youth
group, community service organization, or local business that’s looking to do more good in the
community, please contact the Education & Outreach Coordinator at (503) 558-0550 or
rebecca@clackamasriver.org to schedule a service project!
• Council Meetings
The CRBC meets on the third Thursday of each month from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Mt. Scott Fire
Station on 9339 SE Causey Avenue in Clackamas. These meetings are open to the public. Contact the
Council if you have any questions!

• Community Events
Look for CRBC at several upcoming community events this summer, including the Water-Wise Gardening
Event (June 26th at Clackamas Community College), a work party with CrossFit (July 24th at the Orchard
Summit property owned by North Clackamas Parks and Rec) and A Day in Damascus (July 31st at
Damascus Centennial Park).

• Watershed Hikes
Join Council member Bryon Boyce on any or all of the three guided hikes he’s offering this summer! You
can explore Pansy Basin and Lake on June 27th, Mt. Lowe on July 11th, and Bull of the Woods on July
18th. Contact CRBC at (503) 558-0550 for more details, and to register.

• Down the River Cleanup

Mark your calendar now to remind yourself to attend the 8th Annual Down the River Cleanup, to be held
on Sunday, September 12th. Keep abreast of all River Cleanup news at www.welovecleanrivers.org!
Please recycle this newsletter when you’ve finished fully enjoying it.

Clackamas River Basin Council

PO Box 1869
Clackamas, OR 97015
(503) 558-0550
www.clackamasriver.org
info@clackamasriver.org