The Watershed

Our Mission

We promote and support a healthy watershed through projects that protect and restore native fish, wildlife, and plants, and by working with the community to educate and encourage participation in enhancing and enjoying their natural surroundings.

Educate.

Landowners: The Scappoose Bay Watershed Council educates, advises and assists landowners in the watershed to improve the quality of our community’s creeks and natural areas.

Students and Volunteers: We have actively involved over 2,500 local students and volunteers in our Water Quality monitoring, Macro-invertebrate Monitoring, Native Plant Nursery and Salmon Habitat Assessment programs.

These programs help to foster an appreciation for our natural resources while promoting stewardship and gaining hands-on experience. We are always looking for volunteers!

Restore.

Natural environmental processes and community development affect the water in our watershed. Our stream and wetland restoration projects are helping to improve watershed health, functions and uses.

Fish Barrier Removal: Clearing 40 fish barriers and 55 miles of salmon spawning streams through culvert removal and replacement.

Weed Management: Helping control weeds along 20 miles of creeks.

Plant Restoration: With the help of many volunteers we have planted over 20,000 trees and shrubs to help enhance wildlife habitat and preserve the health of local creeks.

Preserve.

The Council’s mission is to restore and preserve habitat for people and a wide variety of fish and wildlife.

Some species in our watershed include:

Migratory Birds: Including eagles, ospreys and herons can be found in the watershed.

Salmon: Four species of salmon swim and spawn in our waterways.

The watershed offers many recreational opportunities such as boating, fishing, hunting, hiking and bird watching

Join a Meeting.

The board meets each month on the 2nd Tuesday from 7–9pm.

See our board events

Who we are.

The Scappoose Bay Watershed Council was formed in 1997. We are a 501(c)(3), non-profit, non-regulatory organization whose diverse group of dedicated volunteers share a common concern for our quality of life, our natural resources, and our community.

We employ a small staff, assisted by qualified contractors, volunteers with professional expertise, and natural resource agencies. The Council is a source of information about the watershed for residents, visitors, local groups and partners.

Read our SBWC Action Plan 2015-2020 (DOCX)

Scappoose Bay Watershed Council

Board Meetings

The Council Board meets on the second Tuesday evening of the month from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. See our event calendar for meeting details. Usual topics include updates on current projects and the nursery, plus regular business requirements. View past meeting minutes and access the agenda and reports for the upcoming meeting. The public is welcome at all meetings.

Board Members

Andy Maggi

PRESIDENT

Andy joined the Scappoose Bay Watershed Council as our Coordinator in October 2021 and transitioned to Board member in October 2022. He has over 15 years of experience leading political,...

Howard Blumenthal

VICE PRESIDENT

Howard is a native Oregonian with 45 years of outdoor experience, including hiking, backpacking and kayaking. He has done many paddling trips on Sauvie Island and throughout Scappoose...

Barbara White

TREASURER

Born but not raised in Scappoose, Barbara has a family history in the area that dates back to the 1800s, primarily of loggers and farmers. In 2000, she returned...

Maddy Sheehan

BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS

Madelynne (Maddy) Sheehan was a founding member of the SBW Council. She has served as president, vice-president, and treasurer. A professional book publisher and author of Fishing...

Nicole Ferreira

SECRETARY

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Nicole brings her experience in horticulture, design, and mapping to the board. She enjoys hiking, camping, and kayaking when she isn’t drafting...

Greg Pettit

Greg retired from DEQ after a 38-year career. His expertise includes both environmental assessment and policy development. At the DEQ he held positions as: Environmental Specialist, Water Quality Monitoring Manager,...

Lonnie Welter

BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS

Lonny graduated from Rainier High School in 1976, and from Oregon State in 1981 with a BS in Geography. He served in the US Army as a...

Influence Decisions. Join the Board.

Go to our Next Board Meeting

Our Staff

Rachell Meyers
Watershed Council Coordinator
Rachell graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Washington State University Vancouver. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest has given her a passion for wetland...
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Sophie Verdoorn
Watershed Technician
Sophie graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Portland State University and her Geographic Information Systems (GIS) certificate from PCC. In her free time, she enjoys...
Read More >

Work with Us.

Jobs

Find out about job opportunities.

Learn More

Project Bids

See if there are available projects out for bid.

Find Details

Be a Volunteer

We are always looking for people to help.

Email Us Today!

Educate. Restore. Preserve. Join our community.

GET INVOLVED TODAY

What We Protect

Scappoose Bay is part of the widest flood plain reach of the upper Columbia River estuary. This area is composed of multiple islands, sloughs, tide channels, wetlands and seasonal ponds, as well as terraces and rocky outcroppings. Milton, and North and South Scappoose Creeks are major tributaries to Scappoose Bay, which flows into Multnomah Channel just upstream of its confluence with the mainstem of the Columbia River. The construction of levees, roads and drainage ditches, along with floodplain filling, has disconnected many of the side channels from the river.

Native Species

The watershed is home to Oregon ash and black cottonwood forests, along with wetlands composed of wapato and bulrush.

Anandromous Salmon

A majority of the Columbia Basin’s anadromous salmon populations pass through this area during their migration to and from the Pacific Ocean. Coho, Chinook, steelhead, and cutthroat trout can be found in Multnomah Channel and the Bay’s major tributaries. Although there has been a significant decline in their numbers from historic populations, recent and ongoing efforts are improving access to restored habitats.

Migratory Birds

As one of the most important stopovers of the Pacific Flyway, the area also supports numerous populations of waterfowl, migrating shorebirds, and neotropical songbirds, as well as raptors.

Amphibians/Reptiles

The waterway channels and riparian areas also provide habitat for a variety of amphibians and reptiles, including red-legged frogs and northwestern salamanders.

Hyrdology

This reach of the Columbia is tidally influenced, but is also significantly backwatered by the Columbia River freshets in the spring and early summer.

Sub-Watersheds

Milton, and North and South Scappoose Creeks are the major subwatersheds draining into Scappoose Bay. McNulty Creek and Honeyman Creek are smaller drainages that also contribute to Scappoose Bay, and Jackson Creek flows through the Scappoose Bay Bottomlands into the Multnomah Channel above the Bay.

The upper watersheds are dominated by high gradient, confined, and small streams, and are generally forested. The mainstem reaches of the major streams generally flow through low-gradient valleys and are unconfined, with the exception of stretches of larger tributaries confined within ravines, usually in the upper reaches. Much of the adjoining acres of these streams are in agriculture use and have lost much of the important riparian vegetation. The lower portions of the subwatersheds are classified as lowland floodplain and were historically heavily influenced by annual flooding along the Columbia River.

WE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO

Preserve the land for the future.

Find more details about the Scappoose Bay Watershed and our plans designed to improve the health of the watershed through specific, prioritized restoration actions.