Who we are

The South Santiam Watershed Council (SSWC) is a nonprofit organization that promotes and assists with voluntary, nonregulatory conservation efforts to improve the quality of our watershed. We are one of  many community-based nonprofit watershed councils in Oregon.

  • We obtain funding to carry out our own projects upstream and downstream or partner with other agencies on projects.
  • We work with landowners to find funding and help them make improvements to riparian areas of their land.
  • We run educational programs to help our communities understand what happens in our watershed and how it affects all of us.

Whether you live, work, or play in our watershed, whether you're in the timber industry or run a farm, local business, community organization, or school, learn more about where your water comes from and see what we do for you and what we can accomplish together!

SSWC's Mission

To enhance and protect the natural resources of the South Santiam River watershed for the social, environmental, and economic benefit of all those who live, work and visit.

Are you in the South Santiam watershed?

This map shows our service area, which includes the whole watershed. If you live or own land within the watershed, we are here to serve you!

Upcoming Events

Trail workday at the New Mill Race Trail – Build Lebanon Trails

September 12, 2026 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am

We will be helping BLT work on the new Mill Race Trail, and we’d love for you to join us! Our tasks will include removing ivy from trees and cleaning…

News

Defensible Space – Wildfire Ready Linn County Site Visit

By Aaron Gibson | August 21, 2026

Defensible Space This month, the South Santiam Watershed Council and partners with Wildfire Ready Linn County visited a project site where the Linn County Juvenile…

Wildfire Ready Linn County – Free Home Assessments

By Aaron Gibson | July 27, 2026

Wildfire Ready Linn County The South Santiam Watershed Council is proud to be a partner of Wildfire Ready Linn County, a collaborative effort that brings…

Welcome Pacific Lamprey – a Collaborative Restoration Effort in the South Santiam

By Alex Shoulders | July 16, 2026

Pacific Lamprey hold a place of significance and provide an important source offood, culture, and medicine for Columbia River Basin Tribes. Along with this,Lamprey is…

KLCC Story Showcases Beaver Coexistence

By Alex Shoulders | November 18, 2025

Hello Watershed Enthusiasts! KLCC radio’s Tiffany Eckert (Lane Community College) joined our Restoration Project Manager, Ty Styhl, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Senior Program Manager, Jean-Paul…

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Tagline: Rrstoration Monitoring Education Collaboration

How do we touch your life?

Landowners and the SSWC

See how participating in restoration projects can enhance the value and quality of your land.

Communities and the SSWC

We sponsor the Outdoor School for Sweet Home school kids. Find out other ways that we enhance the community through our conservation efforts.

SSWC Partners

We partner with many other organizations to synergize our resources and extend our outreach. See who else we're working with.

SSWC Volunteers

Love to use our waterways? Inspired to help the planet on a local level? Give back to the community by volunteering for SSWC events and other activities.