The South Santiam Watershed Council
The South Santiam Watershed Council was founded in 1996. Its mission is 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.
Since then, the Council has assessed and evaluated natural resources, promoted awareness and education, and facilitated improvement projects in the watershed. Today, the Council continues to pursue many of these same goals while expanding its scope of work.
Native Plants Installed
Students Engaged
Restoration Projects
Restoring Healthy Watersheds
We partner with landowners and communities to restore rivers, streams, wetlands, and forests, improving habitat, water quality, and watershed resilience for people and wildlife.
Building Wildfire-Ready Communities
As a partner in Wildfire Ready Linn County, we help residents prepare for wildfire through education, outreach, and collaborative planning that strengthens community resilience.
Connecting People to Place
Through hands-on outdoor learning, we inspire students and community members to explore, understand, and care for the South Santiam Watershed year-round.
Working Together for Lasting Impact
Healthy watersheds depend on strong partnerships. We collaborate with landowners, Tribes, agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations to protect and restore the South Santiam Watershed.
A Community Connected by Water
From its headwaters high in the Cascade Mountains to the fertile Willamette Valley, the South Santiam River and its tributaries sustain forests, farms, communities, fish, and wildlife.
This watershed has been home to people since time immemorial and is part of the ancestral homeland of the Santiam Band of the Kalapuya. Following the Treaty of Dayton in 1855, the Kalapuya were forcibly removed from their homelands to what are now the Grand Ronde and Siletz Reservations. Today, their descendants are members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, maintaining enduring cultural connections to this landscape.
The South Santiam Watershed Council recognizes and honors this history and the continuing presence and contributions of Indigenous peoples. We are committed to working with Tribes, communities, landowners, agencies, and partners to care for and restore the South Santiam Watershed.
To learn more about the Tribes and Indigenous history of the region, visit: Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde • Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
