About the Council

Who are We?

The Calapooia Watershed Council (CWC)

was created by residents of the watershed in 1999, and is a

community organization that promotes voluntary actions to improve

the health of the watershed. The Council was originally formed due to initial concerns of agriculture regulations and the listing of threatened fish species. The activities of the Council are guided by bylaws and its mission statement.

The primary goals of CWC include sharing information, coordinating restoration and protection actions to help address watershed management issues in the Upper and Lower Calapooia Watershed, reducing the duplication of activities, and providing a framework for coordination and cooperation among key interests. Council membership is open to any person who owns land or lives in or is an agent or leasee of a property owner in the Calapooia watershed and its tributaries. Currently, a steering committee of 11 members from diverse interests and geographic regions of the watershed serves as the decision-making body. Committees include the Management Committee and Projects Committee.

We work closely with many partners, including other watershed councils in the Willamette Valley, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB), local community groups, and federal, state and county agencies. Council funding comes from grants and OWEB, which is a state grant agency that administers Measure 66 funds that are constitutionally dedicated to support watersheds, salmon, and the environment. These funds come from Oregon lottery proceeds.

What is a Watershed Council?

Oregon’s watershed councils emerged from House Bill 3441,

which passed in 1995. Under this resolution, watershed councils

must be locally organized, voluntary and non-regulatory.

Watershed Councils are part of the Oregon Plan, which is an

effort to recover threatened and endangered salmon and

steelhead populations and to meet federal water quality standards.

CWC Workplan for 2007 - 2009

CWC Assessment

Please contact the Council for a CD copy of the assessment.