Watershed Assessment
Think of it as an almanac of the watershed, a scientific
guide to the life of the area in one document. The
Luckiamute-Ash Creek-American Bottom watersheds assessment
was made public July 6, 2004, at a “roll-out”
celebration hosted by the Luckiamute Watershed Council.
The assessment (links below) is a 200-page collection of
local data that comes from dozens of sources
researched over the past year. The study will help the
council prioritize future restoration projects it will
do cooperatively in this huge watershed. The
assessment is full of interesting up-to-date facts and
figures about nearly everything that impacts the
wildlife and people who live in the approximately
250,000 acres in the Luckiamute, Ash Creek and
American Bottom drainages. It is the largest watershed
in Polk County, extending generally from the crest of
the Coast Range west of Falls City east to the
Willamette, north to Dallas and south to Soap Creek
and the E.E. Wilson Wildlife Reserve in Benton County.
The roll-out celebration began with an informal display of
maps and charts of everything from soil types to
geographical and population highlights to fish and wildlife
populations and temperature data. All of these maps and
charts, along with descriptions of the watershed’s
history and other data, are included in a CD that was given
free to every visitor at the roll-out who wanted one. After
the informal display and refreshments, council coordinator
Eve Montanaro introduced council members, and then Ralph
Garono, of Earth Design Consultants, led a presentation
that describes what is in the assessment, how it might be
used and what still remains to be studied in the watershed.
About 70 people attended the presentation.
The volunteer council and consultants had spent the
previous year gathering scientific data about these two
watersheds, a study funded by the Oregon Watershed
Enhancement Board. The study is one of dozens being
conducted across the state in more than 30 watershed
councils. The Luckiamute council will use the assessment to
help guide its decisions about improvement efforts.
Throughout the assessment process, the board has been
guided by input from community members. The board includes
landowners, industry representatives, state and federal
agency representatives and watershed residents. The council
is seeking volunteers and council members to fill
agriculture, industry and resident posts. The council meets
on the second Thursday of every month at Monmouth’s
Volunteer Hall.
Chris Vandenberg, the board member who directed the study,
said that the most important feature of the assessment is
that “we now know what we don’t know …
where the data gaps are. The Luckiamute and Ash Creek have
really been ignored by most agencies because people believe
there is nothing special about them. The assessment on the
other hand has focused specifically on our watersheds and
points to a very diverse watershed both in land-use
patterns, vegetation and wildlife uses.”
Final Watershed Assessment (June, 2004)