Illinois Valley Soil & Water Conservation District

06/09/2026

The Resort at Lake Selmac is organizing a cleanup of milfoil in Lake Selmac, hoping to get as much of the invasive w**d out of the lake as possible. People are encouraged to bring their powerboats to the lake on Tuesday, June 16. And, oddly enough, old boxspring frames, which[Read More...]

06/09/2026

Sharing this article on lessons learned in Intensively Monitored Watersheds:

"Lessons learned from 30 years of implementing Intensively Monitored Watershed studies: aligning the science with partners, policy, and funding"

This paper highlights 4 lessons learned and key insights that we learned in this long term habitat restoration and monitoring project:
💧 1) restoration success requires understanding and targeting the most critical limiting factor;
💧 2) adaptive management and structured evaluation are essential for refining restoration and monitoring strategies;
💧 3) durable partnerships and transparent communication support restoration implementation and foster scientific research and
💧 4) early and intentional public communication is critical to avoid opposition and build long-term support.

➡️Read article here: https://tinyurl.com/m38697bh

The article was written by Greer Maier (Washington Governor's Salmon Recovery Office), Timothy Copeland (Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game), and Ken Fetcho (OWEB), and published in Frontiers.

Photos of restoration projects in Camp Creek. The top image (A) shows a section of Camp Creek with log weirs, a form of early, low-intensity restoration that was later removed to improve fish passage and habitat. The bottom image (B) depicts a recent high-intensity, large-scale project aimed at reconnecting the creek’s mouth with its floodplain during high flows. The contrast between these two images illustrates the shift in restoration approaches over time—and helps explain why modern floodplain-scale projects can face public resistance: they look dramatically different from past efforts. Photo Credit: North Fork John Day Watershed Council.

Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG)

06/09/2026

Join us for Talking Water Movie Night!

This June 26th, the Illinois Valley Watershed Council invites you to a free community movie night at the IV Library — and this one is special.

We'll be screening "First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath" — a compelling film following Indigenous youth on a historic 310-mile journey down a newly free-flowing Klamath River, made possible by the largest dam removal project in American history. It's a story of resilience, river, and reclamation that feels deeply connected to everything we care about here in the Illinois Valley.

Before the film, we'll share a short photo presentation of a successful stream restoration project completed on Horse Creek in the IV during summer 2025.

WHEN: Friday, June 26 • 7:00 – 8:30pm
WHERE: Illinois Valley Branch of Josephine Community Library
209 West Palmer St., Cave Junction

Snacks provided — just bring yourself!

Come for the film, stay for the conversation. We hope to see you there.

06/08/2026

We're rebuilding — and we need you!

We're looking for neighbors ready to join our volunteer Board of Directors and help lead: people who care about this place and want their voice to truly matter. A heart for the Valley is the key — and if you bring skills in fundraising, nonprofit management, marketing, community engagement, grant writing, or environmental work, even better.

Healthy watersheds sustain everything we love about living here. Help us restore it.

This is your moment. Reach out today — contact Kevin at 541-592-3731 or [email protected]

06/07/2026

The yellow tuft alyssum control initiative in the Illinois Valley encompasses what is arguably both the most unique noxious w**d infestation and associated management effort in Oregon. Yellow tuft alyssum is the only major invasive species whose spread is directly tied to serpentine geology (of whic...

05/22/2026

05/22/2026

Widespread invasive plants such as Himalayan blackberry and knapw**d are a familiar sight. But other lesser-known noxious w**ds are in the crosshairs for full eradication from the Illinois Valley and the entire state. Barbed goatgrass and yellow-tuft alyssum are both naturalized on the southern end....

05/20/2026

🌿🌿🌿Garlic mustard is an invasive w**d found in western and northern Oregon. OWEB and ODA w**d grants support the battle against these invasives.🌿🌿🌿

It not only takes water, sunlight, and nutrients from native plants, its roots release chemicals that inhibit growth of competing native plants and trees. A single plant can produce hundreds of seeds that remail viable for up to a decade!

Containment and eradication include hand-pulling and bagging and spot herbicide treatment.

How to keep from spreading it: pull plants in early to mid-spring (now!) before they go to seed and throw the plants out with your garbage. Do not compost.

**ds ODA Noxious W**d Program

Photo from Jackson and Josephine Counties Cooperative W**d Management Area.

04/26/2026

04/17/2026

We are so excited and can’t wait to see YOU! 🤗