Posts tagged water
Healthy Watersheds, Resilient Forests
Healthy Watersheds, Resilient Forests

Following decades of fire suppression and logging that created dense young forests, a return to ecosystem resiliency requires thinning second-growth plantations, retaining large trees and forest canopy, and returning the role of fire to these fire-dependent forests.

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Water, Forests, ClimateKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ks wild, klamath-siskiyou, ecosystem, biodiversity, water, forests, mining, logging, salvage, forestfire, climate, watershed, fire, wildfire, fire dependant, forest service, resilience, fire suppression, salmon, salmonidae, oncorhynchus, fish, wildlife, klamath river, smith river, rogue river, grazing, cattle, off-road vehicle, public lands, refuge, fire resilient, old-growth forest, strip-mining, steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss, rainbow trout, trout, riparian, BLM, clearcutting
Land of Wild Rivers
Land of Wild Rivers

Few experiences are more evocative of the Pacific Northwest than the sight of a salmon leaping a waterfall. People gather to watch as they make their way to ancestral spawning grounds each year at Rainie Falls on the Rogue River or the mouth of Wooley Creek on the Salmon River. Some rivers of the Klamath-Siskiyou are strongholds for wild salmon, including the federally listed Northern California/Southern Oregon Coho Salmon

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Water, Wild Rivers, Rogue Riverkeeper, WildlandsKlamath Siskiyouenvironment, ecosystem, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, biodiversity, water, wild rivers, rogue riverkeeper, rogue river, watershed, klamath river, illinois river, trinity river, upper sacramento river, smith river, chetco river, coho salmon, chinook salmon, steelhead, rainbow trout, green sturgeon, pacific lamprey, cutthroat trout, imperiled species, oncorhynchus, Acipenser medirostris, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Oncorhynchus kisutch, Oncorhynchus clarkii, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, western siskiyou mountains, siskiyou mountains, southern oregon, oregon, wild and scenic rivers, national forest, rough and ready creek, baldface creek, dams, mining, toxic runoff, gold, pollution, riparian, urban development, logging, road-building, clean water, west coast, pacific northwest, rainie falls, wooley creek, salmon river, northern california/southern oregon coho salmon, wildlands, clean water act, kalmiopsis, nickel strip mining, strip-mining, 1872 mining law, bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus, federal energy regulatory commission, pacific connector pipline, rogue climate, climate, conservation, Lampetra tridentata, Entosphenus tridentatus
The Big, Wild 5
The Big, Wild 5

Unlike most of North America, we are extremely fortunate to live in a region in which five major wildland complexes have thusfar survived the pressures from logging, mining and road construction. It is our job and responsibility to protect these special places for the those who come after us and for their intrinsic value.

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Wilderness, WildlandsKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, biodiversity, big 5, big five, major wilderness complexes, forests, logging, mining, road-building, kalmiopsis, west coast, kalmiopsis wildlands, kalmiopsis mountains, serpentine, soil, serpentine soil, geology, plate tectonics, forest service, clearcutting, nickel strip mining, strip-mining, smith river, biscuit fire, wildfire, forestfire, roadless areas, illinois river, chetco river, north fork smith river, high siskiyous, east fork illinois, siskiyou fork smith, clear creek, dillon creek, blue creek, klamath river, high siskiyou wildlands, watershed, water, wild rivers, refuge, transition zones, climate, salmon, salmonidae, oncorhynchus, steelhead, rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, red buttes, siskiyou crest, mountians, corridor, klamath mountians, oregon coast range, cascade mountians, land bridge, wildlife, cattle, grazing, marble mountains, old-growth forest, alpine meadows, limestone, marble, tribes, tribal governments, native americans, fire dependant, fire resilient, fire suppression, clean water, wooley creek, shackleford creek, salmon river, scott river, trinity alps, water quality, wildflowers, fire management
New BLM Resource Management Plan
New BLM Resource Management Plan

On August 5, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) signed a management plan for western Oregon, largely ignoring a formal protest from 22 conservation and fishing groups. The BLM plan eliminates protections for streamside forests, increases clearcutting in wet forests, and removes 2.6 million acres of federally managed public forests from the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan

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ForestsKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, biodiversity, ks wild, klamath-siskiyou, BLM, oregon, water, forests, logging, salvage, forestfire, wildfire, fishing, clearcutting, 1994 northwest forest plan, backyard forests, clean water, watershed, public lands, western oregon, carbon emissions, climate, resilience, timber, salmon, oncorhynchus, pacific coast federation of fishermen's association, PCFFA, water quality, northwest forest plan, rogue river, umpqua river, mckenzie river, salmonidae
Kalmiopsis and Wild Rivers Coast Protected from Mining!
Kalmiopsis and Wild Rivers Coast Protected from Mining!

We are celebrating the recent victory to protect some of our most prized rivers from proposed industrial strip mining for a period of 20 years. We are hopeful that this victory will stand, even in the Trump administration.

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Wild Rivers, Water, WildernessKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, water, wild rivers, mining, wilderness, southern oregon, northern california, strip-mining, kalmiopsis wild rivers, southwest oregon, josephine county, curry county, kalmiopsis wildlands, kalmiopsis, kalmiopsis wilderness area, smith river, illinois river, hunter creek, watershed, wild rivers coast, clean water, water quality, pacific ocean, serpentine, 1872 mining law, air pollution, smelters, toxic runoff, fishing, gold beach, cave junction, crescent city, salmonidae, salmon, oncorhynchus, native americans, friends of the kalmiopsis, kalmiopsis audubon, native fish society, american rivers, american whitewater, wild and scenic rivers, smith river alliance, off-road vehicle, steelhead, rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, smith national recreation area, ORV, forest service
Kalmiopsis Tales: Rugged Mountains, Long fights & Wild Women
Kalmiopsis Tales: Rugged Mountains, Long fights & Wild Women

Long fights with no reward can feel tiresome and unrewarding after awhile. That’s why this May we held the first annual Return to the Wild, a rustic retreat along the Illinois River for female activists from around Southwest Oregon. Elders told stories of past trials and triumphs, we bonded and benefited from the therapy of nature, and were reinvigorated for our work ahead.

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Wild Rivers, Water, Wildlands, WildernessKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, biodiversity, wild rivers, water, wildlands, wilderness, kalmiopsis, peridotite, siskiyou project, bald mountain, northwest forest plan, siskiyou national forest, kalmiopsis mountains, nickel mining, mining, rough and ready creek, nicore, north fork smith river, baldface creek, hunter creek, north fork pistol river, illinois river, southwest oregon, women, elders, retreat, salmon, salmonidae, oncorhynchus, endemic
BLM Releases Management Plan for 2.6 Million Acres in Oregon
BLM Releases Management Plan for 2.6 Million Acres in Oregon

The Bureau of Land Management administers the public forests that surround communities in Western Oregon. These are our backyard forests! Places like the Wild Rogue River, the Applegate Valley foothills and rare plant hotspots in the Illinois Valley deserve our best conservation efforts.

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Forests, Backyard ForestsKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, forests, logging, salvage, forestfire, wildfire, backyard forests, southern oregon, northern california, oregon, california, water, wild rivers, public lands, clean water, fish, wildlife, old-growth forest, BLM, public forests, western oregon, wild rogue river, rogue river, applegate valley, applegate, hotspots, illinois valley, land management, road-building, fire management, clearcutting, watershed
State Fails Rogue Streams
State Fails Rogue Streams

he Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has failed to protect the clear, cold streams and fish in our region by excluding them in their decision to expand stream buffers for Western Oregon’s forests. ODF granted limited protections for streams to the north but left out almost the entirety of the Siskiyou region (essentially the Rogue Basin) in their policy decision.

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Water, Rogue RiverkeeperKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, biodiversity, oregon department of forestry, ODF, clean water, streams, fish, buffers, western oregon, forests, logging, salvage, forestfire, wildfire, water, mining, rogue riverkeeper, siskiyou region, rogue basin, us environmental protection agency, riparian, ripstream, timber, waterways, salmon, salmonidae, oncorhynchus, climate, temperature, coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, dog salmon, silverbite, keta salmon, chum salmon, chum, Oncorhynchus keta, department of environmental quality, water quality, rogue river, headwaters, rainie falls, bear creek, riparian rule decision
This Land is Your Land Stewardship and Our Public Lands
This Land is Your Land Stewardship and Our Public Lands

Environmental stewards can operate in a variety of ways: as practitioners, donors, and doers. Our staff works hard each day as practitioners, working directly with government agencies and stakeholders to promote best practices in the management of our public lands. Foundations and community members serve as vital donors, providing financial support for our work. The doers are all of you—KS Wild members, volunteers, interns, and partners—who take part in our work, voice your support for public lands, or even just get out on a hike.

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Forests, Public Lands, Water, Wildlife, WildlandsKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, stewardship, public lands, woody guthrie, biodiversity, clean water, climate, forests, logging, salvage, forestfire, wildfire, timber, aldo leopold, water, mining, klamath-siskiyou region
Public Lands for All
Public Lands for All

While most Americans cherish the idea that public lands belong to and benefit all of us, corporate timber, mining and grazing interests have long sought to privatize public lands in order to maximize profits to their respective industries. While subsidized logging, mining and grazing occur on the vast majority of public lands, these extremists bristle at the idea of there being any rules regarding their exploitation of our forests and rivers.

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Forests, Wildlife, Public Lands, WaterKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, biodiversity, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, forests, forestfire, logging, salvage, wildfire, water, rivers, mining, public lands, wildlife, wildlands, forest service, forest service wilderness, BLM, backyard forests, national parks, wild and scenic rivers, clean water, national forest, fishing, grazing, cattle, oregon, nevada, community, clearcutting, klamath national forest, fremont-winema national forest, siskiyou county, klamath county, wilderness
A Closer Look: Kalmiopsis Rivers
A Closer Look: Kalmiopsis Rivers

Regularly visited by botanists, it boasts the highest wildflower diversity in Oregon. Fisher folk appreciate the habitat it provides for steelhead and cutthroat trout, and it is well known by locals for always running clear. Before entering the Wild and Scenic Illinois River, it flows through a rugged, beautiful wilderness landscape. Part of this area, the South Kalmiopsis Roadless area was recommended as an addition to the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in 2004.

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Wild Rivers, Water, Wilderness, WildlandsKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, biodiversity, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, wildlands, wilderness, wild rivers, water, mining, kalmiopsis wild rivers, kalmiopsis rivers, rough and ready creek, botanticals, wildflowers, oregon, fishing, fish, steelhead, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Oncorhynchus clarkii, wild and scenic rivers, illinois river, south kalmiopsis roadless area, kalmiopsis wilderness area, nickel mining, strip-mining, nickel strip mining, north fork smith river, tributary, national wild and scenic smith river, smith river, smelters, gasquet, crescent city, hiouchi, california, red flat nickel corp, baldface creek, hunter creek, pistol river, wild rivers coast, chinook salmon, coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, winter steelhead, costal cutthroat trout, watershed, clean water, community, north fork pistol river, headwaters
Protecting Our BLM Backyard Forests
Protecting Our BLM Backyard Forests

Western Oregon’s BLM lands support salmon, steelhead, and wildlife while delivering clean water and recreational values to the public. These forests are source-drinking watersheds for hun-dreds of thousands of Oregonians, they sequester large amounts of carbon, and they provide crucial ecological functions. The natural amenities found on these public lands are highly valued and sought after, from local residents to tourists from around the world.

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Backyard Forests, ForestsKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, ks wild, klamath-siskiyou, biodiversity, backyard forests, forests, logging, timber, forestfire, wildfire, salvage, salmon, salmonidae, steelhead, rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, western oregon, oregon, BLM, clean water, watershed, water, carbon, public lands, wild rogue river, rogue river, southern oregon, applegate, applegate valley, illinois valley, community, wildlife, endangered species list, endangered species, clearcutting, buffers, road-building, off-road vehicle, northwest forest plan, washington, western washington, northwestern california, california, resource management plan
Streams Need Trees
Streams Need Trees

Retaining trees in streamside areas is incredibly important to keeping streams cool and water clean. A healthy riparian buffer where logging is limited adjacent to streams serves a number of important functions. The shade from trees prevents the water from getting warmer, something that will be more and more important in the face of climate change.

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Forests, Water, ClimateKlamath Siskiyouconservation, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, environment, ecosystem, biodiversity, streams, buffers, riparian, forests, logging, salvage, forestfire, wildfire, water, mining, climate, timber, temperature, runoff, wildlife, roads, fish, amphibians, oregon, california, washington, imperiled species, salmon, salmonidae, oncorhynchus, clearcutting, us environmental protection agency, NOAA fisheries, watershed, water quality, landslides, herbicides, pollution, waterways, oregon department of forestry, board of forestry, rogue basin, rogue riverkeeper
Gas Pipeline A Bad Deal
Gas Pipeline A Bad Deal

Rogue Riverkeeper and our allies have been fighting the proposal for a gas pipeline, power plant, and export terminal through southern Oregon for years. This dangerous and unnecessary project threatens private property owners with eminent domain, will impact dozens of threatened and endangered species, will clear-cut a 95 foot swath for 235 miles, will raise our gas rates here at home, and accelerate climate change.

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Water, No LNGKlamath SiskiyouLNG, conservation, environment, ecosystem, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, biodiversity, water, mining, rogue river, no LNG, oregon, salmon, coho salmon, salmonidae, Oncorhynchus kisutch, columbia river, steelhead, rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, endangered species, tributary, streams, gas, pipeline, gas pipeline, forests, salvage, logging, timber, forestfire, wildfire, wildlife, southern oregon, community, rogue riverkeeper, environmental impact statement
Wilderness in the Klamath-Siskiyou
Wilderness in the Klamath-Siskiyou

The Klamath-Siskiyou region is home to the largest expanse of wildlands on the West Coast. Some of these pristine wild areas are protected under the Wilderness Act as Wilderness Areas, but many other wilderness-quality lands are unprotected and face a variety of threats including logging, road-building, over-grazing, and irresponsible off-road vehicle use. 

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Wilderness, WildlandsKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, ks wild, klamath-siskiyou, biodiversity, wildlands, wilderness, west coast, wilderness act, wilderness area, forests, logging, salvage, forestfire, wildfire, grazing, cattle, road-building, off-road vehicle, habitat, wildlife, community, southern oregon, northern california, old-growth forest, wild rivers, mountians, geology, glaciers, climate, wild rogue river, cascade mountians, headwaters, rogue river, umpqua river, klamath river, grassy knob, rogue-umpqua divide, sky lakes, copper salmon, siskiyou wild rivers, salmon, salmonidae, oncorhynchus, elk river, sixes river, illinois river, wild rogue wilderness, water, mining, rivers, kalmiopsis, chetco river, north fork smith river, wild and scenic rivers, kalmiopsis wilderness area, soda mountian, great basin, wildflowers, coniferae, conifer, coniferophyta, red buttes, siskiyou, alpine, lakes, siskiyou mountains, russian wilderness, marble mountian, castle crags, marble rim, trinity alps, chanchelulla, yolly bolly, klamath mountians, southern klamath range, klamath range, granite, backpacking, rafting, explore, hiking
How Clean is the Water? Visit Swim Guide for Current Conditions
How Clean is the Water? Visit Swim Guide for Current Conditions

Rogue Riverkeeper has monitored local streams for fecal bacteria, turbidity, pH, temperature, and conductivity with a number of great partners throughout our region. Our past efforts have documented steadily declining water quality throughout the Little Butte Creek watershed, improving water quality on Evans Creek, and highlighted the source of pollution on Ashland Creek so that steps could be taken to improve the situation.

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Rogue Riverkeeper, WaterKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, ks wild, klamath-siskiyou, biodiversity, water, water quality, clean water, rogue riverkeeper, swimming, swim guide, pollution, contamination, rogue river, emigrant lake, emigrant reservoir, rafting, bacteria, fecal bacteria, ph, temperature, turbidity, conductivity, little butte creek, watershed, evans creek, ashland creek, safety, hotspots, lost creek lake, lost creek reservoir, applegate river, ruch, illinois river, selma, gold hill, grants pass, ashland, health, waterkeeper swim guide, rogue basin, north america, drought, streams, toxins, algae, klamath river, great lakes, gulf of mexico, public waters, app, swim guide app, tributary, volunteer, fishing
Kalmiopsis Wilderness
Kalmiopsis Wilderness

The mountains of the Kalmiopsis emerged from the ocean floor as result of geological uplift (rather than volcanism) and have been subject to folding and faulting ever since. As a result, the unique soils are packed with heavy metals including nickel, iron, chromium, and magnesium that make life hard for most plant life. To survive in this environment plants have had to evolve and adapt to get by in circumstances that would normally kill most flowering species. More than any other wilderness in the region, the Kalmiopsis is the home of oddball survivors.

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Wilderness, WildlandsKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, ks wild, klamath-siskiyou, biodiversity, kalmiopsis, kalmiopsis wildlands, kalmiopsis wilderness area, kalmiopsis wilderness, geology, mountians, kalmiopsis mountains, kalmiopsis rivers, kalmiopsis wild rivers, uplift, plate tectonics, folding, faulting, heavy metals, nickel, iron, chromium, magnesium, Kalmiopsis leachiana, heath, wild rivers, wild and scenic rivers, illinois river, wilderness, wildlands, chetco river, north fork smith river, headwaters, forests, logging, salvage, forestfire, wildfire, water, mining, road-building, watershed, roads, illinois river trail, forest service, backpacking, rafting, smith river, california pitcher plant, cobra lily, cobra plant, Darlingtonia californica, pitcher plant, carnivorous plant, biscuit fire, fire, oregon, california, southern oregon, northern california, fire dependant, knobcone pine, Pinus attenuata, Pinus tuberculata, hiking, tanoak, tanbark-oak, Notholithocarpus densiflorus, nickel mining, off-road vehicle, botany, botanticals
A Wilderness Celebration
A Wilderness Celebration

But what is more important is that wilderness offers something more than just its value to humanity. In wilderness is the essence of all life; it is where complex biological systems continue to function in ways that humans are only beginning to understand. Saving the remaining pieces of wild nature is part of our duty to ourselves, our children, and for all life on the planet. 

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WildernessKlamath Siskiyouconservation, ks wild, klamath-siskiyou, environment, ecosystem, biodiversity, wilderness, wilderness act, 50th anniversary, anniversary, wildlands, forests, logging, salvage, forestfire, wildfire, water, mining, grazing, cattle, clean water, community, local economy
Smith River National Recreation Area: Off-Road Vehicle Playground or Botanical Wonderland?
Smith River National Recreation Area: Off-Road Vehicle Playground or Botanical Wonderland?

The public lands in the Smith River Watershed are legendary for their unique botanical diver- sity and for providing clear, cold water to the largest un-damned river system on the West Coast. It is a stunning and spectacular part of America’s natural heritage that is literally like nowhere else on Earth. 

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Water, Wild RiversKlamath Siskiyouconservation, environment, ecosystem, klamath-siskiyou, ks wild, biodiversity, smith river, smith national recreation area, off-road vehicle, botanticals, wildflowers, wildlands, watershed, northern california, public lands, public land, clean water, west coast, fishing, botany, hiking, smith river wildlands, streams, hotspots, headwaters, water, mining, wild rivers