Have you hugged your partnership today?
Confluence West is a consortium of preeminent western water leaders. Our work: Water - the face of climate change in the American West Learn more
Friends of Confluence West -
We're all familiar with the many smart, diverse partnerships working on western forest health, equity, and source water protection. What happens with these partnerships after a catastrophic wildfire roars through a watershed? Faced with new, enormous challenges does the partnership evolve? Fall apart? Languish? Or, does it 'seize the day?'
Last Labor Day, the Holiday Farm wildfire burned 173,000 acres in Oregon's McKenzie River watershed (map below.) More than 400 homes burned, and one person died. The McKenzie is the sole source of drinking water for Eugene and the surrounding area and is a world-class river for dry-fly fishing.
Post this wildfire, the strength of the already established partnerships in the McKenzie is ensuring rapid, sustainable restoration.
Some quick history: Ten or so years ago, Karl Morgenstern, and his colleagues at EWEB (Eugene Water & Electric Board), started talking with farmers and small timber operators in the McKenzie watershed.
These conversations led to a voluntary incentives program - the Pure Water Partners (PWP), which rewards McKenzie landowners who protect high-quality land along the river. The program greatly benefits EWEB by preserving water quality and helping to avoid future water treatment costs.
To date, many landowners in the watershed have signed up. Program partners include the McKenzie NGO community, the US Forest Service, local wastewater treatment agencies, the local conservation district, local businesses, Cascade Pacific and, state funding partners. The University of Oregon is doing critical research, and EWEB and county and state agencies collaborate on joint disaster planning.
With the Pure Water Partners relationships already in place, after the Holiday Farm wildfire EWEB and its partners could quickly get on to property to fast-track damage assessment and put the infrastructure in place to keep toxins and sediment from going into the river. Because there's trust among the stakeholders - everyone from the landowners to river advocates to local and state agencies - that the restoration work is quickly moving forward.
Have you hugged your partnership today?
Want your watershed to be "post-wildfire ready?" We've worked with partnerships all over the West and will help you design and implement a path to weather catastrophes.
