During the 2002-2003 academic year, our team of five University of Oregon students, part of the Environmental Studies Service Learning Program (SLP), is working with the Mohawk Watershed Partnership to promote watershed restoration activities and enhancement of stream quality in the Mohawk River Valley. The Mohawk River sub-basin, located northeast of Springfield, Oregon in central Lane County, is the largest sub-basin of the McKenzie River watershed (McKenzie watershed facts, pdf).

In 1995, the Mohawk Watershed Partnership (MWP) was formed in cooperation with the McKenzie Watershed Council to coordinate the efforts of local residents in the restoration and enhancement of the Mohawk watershed. The Mohawk watershed falls within the management area of the McKenzie Watershed Council, yet local residents felt the size of the watershed (115,000 acres) justified a separate local committee to coordinate restoration efforts. The MWP has enjoyed the full support of the McKenzie Watershed Council and receives funding for a part-time coordinator. The MWP is made up of community volunteers dedicated to enhancing watershed health.

1. Assist the Mohawk Watershed Partnership in generating community interest in the sub-basin focus process through community outreach and education.
   
   • Posters – Our team will create informational posters focusing on several specific ways individual landowners can restore streamside habitats and reduce pollutant runoff into local streams. We will interview local landowners who have already completed projects, using their success stories in our posters.
     
   • Restoration Resource Guide – We will produce a guide outlining ways to take advantage of government funding that exists for streamside restoration projects. This guide will include interviews with landowners who have completed restoration projects on their land and a list of local and governmental contacts who can assist local landowners with projects.
     
2. Revitalize watershed health through restoration efforts
   • Participating in ongoing water quality monitoring.
   • Coordinate a community “Cleanup Day” along McGowan Creek
   • Participate in a tree-planting project on private land along McGowan Creek.
   • Assess the impacts of recreational and illegal dumping activities.
     
3. Collect baseline social and ecological information for the Mohawk Watershed Partnership.
   • Design and implement a survey of the Mohawk Valley residents aimed at determining their understanding of and interest in watershed issues.
   • Compile and analyze survey results.
   • Assit with water quality monitoring and analyze previous and current data
   • Assist with migratory fish identification

Project Reporting:

Our team will produce a comprehensive written report detailing all of our project activities. The report will also include an overview of Mohawk Valley history and current issues and concerns facing the watershed’s residents. A printed version of this report will be presented to the MWP and it will also be made available online via a link from the Partnership's website. A preliminary oral presentation will be made at the May 2003 Mohawk Watershed Partnership general council meeting while a final presentation will take place on 12 June 2003 at the University of Oregon.

About Us

The Mohawk watershed group is comprised of a diverse group of five individuals, all graduating seniors. Under the guidance of the our project coordinator, we work with the Mohawk Watershed Partnership on an assortment of tasks. Our individual interests may differ, but we all share a common interests and commitment to environmental issues. To see us in action, please check out our photos page!

Andrew Berger, environmental studies major Matthew Fisher, environmental studies major Dave Irons, geography major Erin Rowland, environmental studies major Megin Sabo, environmental studies major Steve Mital, project coordinator