Read why hundreds of folks volunteer to restore Johnson Creek, and the surrounding watershed …
Welcoming members and guests to their first annual meeting is Michelle Bussard, Executive Director, Johnson Creek Watershed Council.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The tables were set, displays erected, and the staff of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council welcomed members and guests to their luncheon at the Eastmoreland Golf Course clubhouse on May 18th.
“We are having our inaugural annual meeting,” Michelle Bussard, Executive Director, Johnson Creek Watershed Council told us. “It will be featuring the ‘State of the Watershed’ report. And, this event celebrates all of our stakeholders and communities throughout the watershed’s area.”
Specifically, Bussard told us, the report is like snapshots, depicting a decade of change along Johnson Creek. “More than 100 projects are up and going along the Creek. These include projects designed to help fish passage, to wetland, upland, and riparian restoration.”
The most important mission of the organization, Bussard went on, is to bring the Johnson Creek ‚Äì a stream that runs from Gresham to its confluence with the Willamette River near Milwaukie, back to the condition in which salmon and other native fish will thrive. “Moreover, when the fish thrive, people who live near Johnson Creek, or visit it, will be able to enjoy its beauty and health.”
Noah Jenkins, an AmeriCorps member assigned to the Council, demonstrating a “stream table” at the Johnson Creek Watershed Council meeting. “This provides a demonstration of how streams get created and meander over a period of time.”
The organization claims over 5,000 volunteers who have contributed countless hours of time. Other people have donated in-kind services, equipment and materials. “For example, Howard Dietrich and Nancy Bishop have provided our creekside office space for the past ten years. Our volunteers allow us to greatly leverage the funding we receive on a 1-to-5 basis.”
For more information, see their website at www.jcwc.org.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News ~ Published May 29, 2006