Mid John Day
Watershed Council
Our mission is to improve water quality and watershed conditions in the Mid John Day River watershed.
About
The Mid John Day Watershed Council is a voluntary organization that brings together local stakeholders from private, local, state, and federal interests in a partnership to improve a defined watershed area. The Council works to plan watershed protection and restoration strategies in a holistic way--from ridge top to ridge top, and from headwaters to mouth. Through this watershed partnership, council members collaborate to identify issues, promote cooperative solutions, focus resources, agree on goals for watershed protection and enhancement, and foster communication among all watershed interests.
Projects
The Mid John Day Watershed Council’s conservation projects focus on working with landowners to address upland, riparian, and instream resource issues such as the invasion of western juniper and limited water sources for livestock and wildlife. Other resource needs such as cross fencing for better grazing management and weed control and reseeding for improved site productivity are included in project planning.
Get Involved
The Mid John Day Watershed Council is coordinated by Debbi Bunch. The Council cooperates with many agency partners and private landowners on project planning and implementation of conservation practices and restoration.
If you are interested in learning more about the council, our work, or serving on the board, please contact the Debbi at 541-420-4479 or by email at debbi@midjohndaywatershed.org.
New Grant Awards
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) awarded two grants to the Mid John Day Watershed Council at their April 26-27, 2022 board meeting. $203,499 was awarded for the Thompson Creek Watershed Improvement 1 Project, and $189,996 for the Alder Creek Watershed Improvement 2 Project.
The awards are two of 53 grants totaling $8,855,726 provided to local organizations statewide to support fish and wildlife habitat and water quality projects.
The Thompson Creek Watershed Improvement 1 will focus on negative impacts from historic fire suppression and land management, which will be addressed by implementing conservation practices, including: juniper removal, fence installation to protect two meadows, forest stand improvements, and development of two upland water sites for wildlife and livestock. It is expected to begin June 30, 2022 and be completed by December 2024.
The Alder Creek Watershed Improvement 2 Project will restore grassland function and health which provides habitat for native wildlife along Alder Creek by removing encroaching juniper, installing cross fencing, protecting three aspen and one cottonwood grove and developing five springs. It is also expected to begin in June 2022 and be completed by December 2024.
Funding for these grants, awarded by the OWEB Board, comes from the Oregon Lottery and Federal Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery funds provided by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.
Since 1999, the Oregon Lottery has provided over $500 million to OWEB’s grant program that helps restore, maintain, and enhance Oregon’s watersheds. Combined, the Lottery has earned over $9 billion for watershed enhancements, public education, state parks, and economic development. For more information about the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org.
For additional information about this project contact Debbi Bunch. For additional information about OWEB and its grant programs, contact Eric Hartstein at eric.hartstein@oweb.oregon.gov. A listing of all awarded grants is available at: https://www.oregon.gov/oweb/Documents/2022-OS-Board-Aawards.pdf
Thompson Creek Watershed Improvement
Western juniper encroachment into a meadow in the Thompson Creek watershed.