Calapooia Watershed Council

P.O. Box 844 Brownsville OR 97327 Phone: (541) 812-7622

E-mail: calapooia@peak.org

Mission: Providing opportunities for membership to cooperate in promoting and sustaining the

health of the watershed and its communities

                                           

                                            Calapooia Watershed Council Meeting Minutes

                                                                  Brownsville City Hall

                                                                         May 14th, 2008

 

Steering Committee Members Present

Bud Baumgartner, Chair John Perry

Tim Otis Roger Ruckert

Scott Sayer Mark Running

Steering Committee Members Absent

Bob Danehy Alice Smith

Debbie Colbert Frank Lamb

Others Present

Troy Brandt, Presenter Tara Putney, Council Coordinator, Dee Swayze Erika Lang, Outreach Coordinator, Peter Jensen, Jessie Marsh, Chris Bailey, Rhonda Marsh, Brock and Louis Burssi, Richard Gibbons, Connie Burdick, John Matlock, Kathy Otis, Kees Ruurs, Bob Bostedt, Kathy Otis, John Marble, Dennis Wirth, Monte Lewis, Brian Glaser, Donny Nealon, Ramona Ginn,

Denise Elston, Jim Wagner, Seaton McLennan, Joanne McLennan, Jana Compton, Dave Rand, Jim Ewing, Susie Ross

 

Public Announcements

Saturday May 17, 2008 Albany Down by the River in Bryant Park in Albany, Tara Putney explained that fliers were available. Event will focus on noxious plant removal.

Alice Smith and Erika Lang announced tour of South Santiam Monday, May 19, 2008 9 am to 3 pm. Meet at River Park in Lebanon .

Tara Putney thanked Mark Running and Dee Swayze for the Kirk Park work. They had 25-30 people involved who attacked the invasive species.

 

Decision Minutes from April meeting approved.

 

Presentation Tara Putney introduced Troy Brandt, Fisheries Biologist from River Design Group who gave a presentation on the Middle Calapooia River strategic restoration approach that addresses the following objectives: channel stability – band erosion and land loss, flooding, improvement of fish habitat, and creation of conservation

2 opportunities. The Council intends to utilize a holistic approach to program projects. Data was utilized from reach reconnaissance, CWC data collection, RDG data collection, and GIS data collection. The assessment also focuses on floodplain habitat using historical channel analysis from 1936, 1967 and 2005. The biggest benefit to habitat would be landowner projects, creating water resources for wildlife away from the river, flood water energy dissipation, and river bank repair. After review of the four sub-reach specifics, Troy presented the Calapooia Middle Reach recommendations. (Presentation available upon request from Council Coordinator)

 

EPA Discussion Tara Putney introduced Jana Compton with the EPA Center of Research in Corvallis. Jana stated that the center is for science and research – not a regulatory center. They investigate ecosystem services and they are currently working on four placebased studies, and the Willamette Basin is on of the four areas of study. This is a

collaborative effort with OSU, ARS and landowners. She shared that ecosystem services is a newer, anthropocentric concept– involving services such as:

1. Water Quality, including temperature, nutrients, and sediment

2. Habitat

3. Recreation

4. Energy

5. Agricultural products like timber

6. Air quality

They are hoping to build a stack or bundle of services for the valuation of conservation and restoration work. The EPA program could include measurements to explore quantities of carbon stored in vegetation.

 

Update Erika Lang, Regional Outreach Coordinator talked about the Brush Creek subbasin landowner outreach and restoration projects. The following updates were provided:

1. Met with landowner recently and discussed cattle access to the water source, developed a map for a 20 foot fencing to keep cattle out and off the stream bank, and developed a vegetation planting plan to repair and maintain the current riverbank.

2. Map creation for the Petersen Property on Courtney Creek Drive.

3. John Marble project to start soon.

4. Tara and Erika – Union Point Custom Feeds is interested in a CREP project.

5. Tour of Brush Creek sub-basin sites will be held in the fall of 2008.

6. Living on the Land Workshop – 55 people attended, 30 were turned away because workshop was full. People were from Lebanon and Albany representing the Calapooia and Santiam River reaches. The importance of

native plants was discussed one evening by Alice Smith and other Council members served on a landowner panel. Mike Nehls donated 17 native plants for identification and he gave them to workshop participants.

7. Mark Running and students made huge posts for Brownsville Dam interpretive signs. The tamper proof sighs are beautiful, and will be posted at Pioneer Park explaining the trail work within the park. The second sign will be posted at the Mill Race by the Museum in Brownsville. There are also new signs in the Linn County Museum.

 

Update-Bud Baumgartner gave a report on the Brownsville Dam project. He stated there are a couple of problems with the land for the pump station and the bids for completion of the pump station are considerably higher than anticipated earlier in the project. The land that will host the pump station is actually owned by neighbor John Holbrook and not the Canal Company. Currently negotiations are in effect, and the Canal Company is trying to act as quickly as possible in order to move ahead with the project. Denise and Bud are working on this as well as the funding possibilities for completing the project.

 

Thompson’s Mills Update – Kees Ruurs with State Parks explained that they are commencing a study to understand the flows and diversions within the system. Previous owners had helped with the management of the flow, but even with changes to the flow, neighboring land owners said it was not enough. And prior to an oncoming storm the

water in the mill race will be lowered by 12 inches with more water flow into the Calapooia. ODFW says they need a minimum of 14 cfs flow over the sheer dam section, and cannot go lower because of fish movement. He is looking for dollars to purchase a guage to place at the sheer dam to manage the gates. The water needs to flow 1 ½ to 2

inches above the sheer dam or 14 CFS flow, which is 5000 – 6--- gal/minute. Peter Jensen said the Oregon Water Trust is responsible for taking and re-installing the gauges to monitor flows above the bifurcation, which were just recently installed.

 

Sodom Dam Update- Brian Glaser asked about the status of the Sodom dam removal. Tara explained that movement on the project has been slow and the Council is soon to be negotiating with funders to move forward. Stakeholder meetings will be held soon.

 

Steering Committee Awards and Elections- Three members of the Council, namely Dave Furtwangler, Connie Burdick and Dee Swayze, were nominated by the CWC Nomination Committee for three vacant positions on the Steering Committee. There were no objections from Council members to elect these three members and so there were no formal ballots collected. Connie Burdick is a resident of Albany and geographer with the EPA Center for Research in Corvallis. Dee Swayze is a long-time Council member, Mater Watershed Steward, and leads many Council restoration projects in Brownsville. Dave Furtwangler of Brownsville is President of Cascade Timber Consultants and involved in a Council project in Brush Creek sub-basin.

 

Peter Jensen was honored with an award – so named the Peter Jensen Award, for his outstanding contribution and dedication to projects related to watershed health and water conservation and management. He has spent much of his life in conservation practice, and has been instrumental in the creation of the CWC. He has also been involved with the Linn SWCD for many years as well as the Calapooia Irrigation District. Tim Otis and Bob Danehy were also recognized with awards for their Steering Committee volunteer time and dedication over the years.