The Luckiamute Watershed Council handed out "2007 Friends of the Luckiamute Awards" to watershed residents, businesses and agencies who've been good stewards during the past 12 months.

The 'Friends' awards were given out at the Annual Luckiamute Watershed Celebration held on Sept. 15th at Airlie Winery. The Luckiamute Watershed Council is a volunteer group that promotes projects aimed at improving water quality in the Luckiamute River, Ash Creek and American Bottom watersheds. The basin's 202,000 acres span from south Dallas to north Corvallis in Polk and Benton Counties.

'Friends of the Luckiamute' 2007 Awards

  • Volunteer of the Year: Gail Oberst, for her leadership in developing & implementing the "Writing Your Watershed" project, for faithfully recording Council minutes, for serving on the Education /Outreach Committee, for staffing LWC booth at community events, and for writing numerous press releases & articles about the LWC

  • LWC Founders Award: Kirk Lewis, for being with the LWC since its inception, for giving the LWC an historical context to all we do, for faithfully representing the LWC on the small grant team, for leading the Adopt-a-Road program, and for leading the LWC's participation in the Luckiamute State Natural Area planning process.

  • Outstanding New Volunteer: John Petersen, for enthusiastically taking on the challenge of keeping our website current, and being prompt & responsive to our many requests

  • Outstanding New Board Member: Tom Smith, for help to place tubes, to water and weed the new plants in the SF Ash Creek project, for jumping in to help out when needed: staffing the LWC booth, surveying culverts, and helping to advertise the LWC event

  • Restoration Award to Private Citizen: Ron Nestlerode, for implementing a model Conservation Reserve Enhancement Project on Fuller Creek, and for being an environmental advocate on the Council through the years.

  • Restoration Award to Industry: Dolton Rock- Jock Dolton, for the in-kind donation of $3,900 of rock for the South Fork Ash Creek restoration project

  • Restoration Award to Public Agency: ODFW- Joe Sheahan, for his numerous hours to design & implement the SF Ash Creek Restoration project. ODOT- Dave Hacek and Larry Lewis, for donating their time to design, install and maintain the 'Entering the Watershed' signs.

  • Educator of the Year: Dr. Emily Plec ( WOU), for developing & promoting future community leaders through WOU Environmental Communications course, for assisting the Council with developing its outreach capacity, for informing the LWC about residents interests, and for donating time to LWC's "Writing Your Watershed" project.

  • Outstanding Donor Award: WOU Division of Mathematics and Natural Science- Lonnie Guralnick, contributing the invaluable donation of office space, computer services and supplies in the amount of well over $100,000 over a period of for five years

  • 2007 Steelhead Passage Barrier Survey Project - Volunteer Awards: A special thanks to all the volunteer barrier surveyors who spent many hours walking streams in the Luckiamute Watershed. Without the donation of their time the project simply would not have been possible!
    Jason Hotchkiss, Andy Lanier, Brycen Swart, Dawn Marie Gaid, Jana Seeliger, Jeff Kershner, Jessica Onstott, Karen Green, Kyle Moselle, Tom Smith, Wade Edris, Brian Wilson, Julie Skopal, Cedar Newlin, Alyssa Harris

PAST AWARDS:

2006 Awards:

Volunteer of the Year: Jo Yeager
LWC Founders Awards: Randy Gould and Dave Vesely
2005 Water Quality Monitoring Project - Volunteer Award: Eighteen additional volunteers for their help with water quality monitoring

2005 Awards:

Volunteer of the Year: Dave M. Anderson of Monmouth
Educators of the Year (Secondary Schools): Curt Ralston, Central High School, & Mike Rodriguez of Falls City High School
Educator of the Year (Higher Education): Steve Taylor, Western Oregon University
LWC Founder's Award: Tremaine Arkley of American Bottom/Duck Slough
Restoration/Conservation Award to private citizens: Cliff Hall on Maxfield Creek. Dave Ehlers on Vincent Creek, Ron Cooper on Ash Creek, Dave and Kim Sherman of Cooper Hollow
Restoration/Conservation Award to public agency: BLM Salem District (Randy Gould, Hugh Snook, Scott Snedaker) for the agency's help with the Bald Mountain log placement project
Restoration/Conservation Award to a private industry: Boise Cascade. David Anderson
Friends of the Luckiamute Watershed Council Donor Award: Polk County Commissioners and Weyerhaeuser