KQUA Update Spring 2026
by John Dyer V
As I write this article on the current status of KQUA radio station, it is clear that we – as a group, as a community, as a society, and as human beings – are all witnesses to incredible transformations occurring all around us. It is doubtful that any one of us [...]
Wilderness Update Spring 2026
Exploring two more important sites in the Crater Lake Wilderness Proposal on the North Umpqua and South Umpqua
by Diana Pace
Spring River North Umpqua
Pristine, crystal clear, spring-fed Spring River emerges from the ground and flows into the North Umpqua River as a significant tributary. As a key tributary in the North Umpqua River [...]
Conservation Update Spring 2026
The Bigger Picture
Most of us who live in western Oregon do so because it’s beautiful. The rivers run cold, and the forests are part of our daily lives, not just scenery out the car window. That’s why the Bureau of Land Management’s recent proposal to quadruple logging levels on O&C [...]
Education Update Spring 2026
by Julie Lowe
Oregon Naturalist Field Course: Learning the Landscape by Living It
Umpqua Watersheds is excited to announce the launch of our Southwest Oregon Naturalist field course series, with exploration of the Umpqua Basin and Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains from the Cascades Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The first of eight immersive field excursions will take [...]
Outreach Update Spring 2026
by Julie Lowe
Outreach is not simply about sharing what we do — it is about building relationships that strengthen our entire community. We always keep our vision at the forefront, as inspiration in everything we do:
Umpqua Watersheds env isions a land of lush mountains and river valleys which sustain an abundance of clean [...]
Restoration Update Spring 2026
by Ken Carloni
NORTH UMPQUA RIVER UPDATE
Those of you who follow this newsletter or attend Watershed Wednesday events (last Wed. of every month at Umpqua Clubhouse next to Old Soul Pizza) will have been introduced to the two main challenges to wild salmon survival on the North Umpqua River: the Winchester Dam and the [...]
President’s Corner Spring 2026
by Janice Reid
President’s Message: Showing Up When It Matters Most
One of the hardest parts of this work isn’t speaking up for forests, rivers, and wildlife. It’s asking for help.
Like many community organizations, Umpqua Watersheds is feeling the strain. The need for strong advocacy is growing at the same time that funding is [...]
BLM Resource Management Plan 2026 Revision
Submit comments online:
https://eplanning.blm.gov (Search for the DOI-BLM-ORWA-0000-2026-0001-RMP-EIS page)
Key talking points to include:
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Protect older and mature forests. Ask BLM to exclude mature and older stands from logging and prioritize conservation of climate-resilient forests.
- [...]
Reflect Orbital and SpaceX FCC Applications sets off alarms- Comment by March 6, 2026
Published February 26th, 2026Why Umpqua Watersheds is engaging on satellite infrastructure
Satellite constellations are rapidly becoming a new form of global infrastructure with measurable on-the-ground environmental effects. Expansion of low-Earth-orbit systems affects migratory birds, nocturnal wildlife, wilderness character, atmospheric conditions, and the visibility of night skies across the same public landscapes UW members steward and rely on for [...]
May I introduce.. Usnea Lichen?
Published December 7th, 2025It’s a plant… ? It’s an animal… ? This beautiful and mysterious structure is classified by a fungal partner, so it’s actually a combination of an algae and a fungus. The fungus provides a structure for the algae to live in, while the algae provides food for the fungus. And [...]
May I introduce, the Yellow Bellied Marmot??
Published December 7th, 2025What do you do on Groundhog’s Day when you don’t have a local groundhog?? For that matter, what did early American colonists do without a hedgehog? Because the hedgehog was the original hibernating mammal used in Europe to predict the arrival of spring, early Pennsylvania Germans had a quandary when they came [...]
May I introduce…. The most ghostly of flowers???
Published December 7th, 2025‘Saprophytic plants’ are those fascinating ghost like outliers of the plant kingdom that defy the norm and thrive without the need for photosynthesis! These pale beauties have no chlorophyll and no hint of green. Instead, they are shrouded in hues of white and pink. Without chlorophyll, they are unable to get [...]
May I introduce, the Yellow Spotted Millipede?
Published December 7th, 2025This brightly speckled little mulch muncher plays a vital role in the redistribution of organic material in the forest ecosystem. As is often true in nature, bright colors warn of danger, and indeed, this critter is protected by toxic cyanide. The amount secreted is not normally medically significant to humans, and in fact, [...]
May I introduce, the otherworldly ‘By the Wind Sailor’?
Published December 7th, 2025This fascinating ocean traveler, more formally known as the Vellela, is a ‘cosmopolitan free floating hydrozoan’ that lives on the surface of the open ocean. In biogeography, ‘cosmopolitan’ refers to a range of taxon that extends across most of the world.  This is a member of the Cnidaria phylum (making it very [...]
May I introduce (the much maligned…) Turkey Vulture??
Published December 7th, 2025This magnificent harbinger of Spring doesn’t often get the respect it deserves. Arriving in spring in many areas, including the beautiful Umpqua Watershed, after spending the winter in Baja Mexico and California, the Turkey Vulture (TV) gets its name from the fact that the head is hairless and red, just like a [...]
May I introduce, the beautiful rosy colored Pacific Sideband snail?
Published December 7th, 2025This is the largest native terrestrial land snail in British Columbia. While aquatic snails have gills, this is one of the ‘pulmanate’ snails that has evolved its mantle cavity into a lung and breathes through a single opening on the right side of its body. The beautiful pink and red body is [...]
May I introduce… the snake with all sizzle but very little snap?
Published December 7th, 2025The bull snake, also known as the gopher snake, is a rather hefty, formidable looking member of the North American constrictor family. With a potential length of 8 feet and a color pattern resembling a rattlesnake, this snake looks intimidating but has no venom. It constricts its prey instead. It gets his name [...]
May I introduce, the Magnificent Bryozoan??
Published December 7th, 2025How cool must you be to be labeled magnificent??? Pectinatella magnifica is a species of freshwater bryozoan in the class of Phylactolaemata. As such, these are microscopic aquatic invertebrates that live in colonies, building exoskeletons similar to those of corals. Most live under the surface of the water, attached to rocks or branches. Their [...]
May I introduce, the Black Tailed Jackrabbit?
Published December 7th, 2025Watership Down lives! One of my favorite books ever, I’ve read Watership Down at least a dozen times. What a fascinating glimpse into social, political and philosophical issues. As a youngster, it never occurred to me to question if the characters in the novel were rabbits or hares. Turns out, they were European Rabbits. [...]
May I Introduce … the Western Fence Lizard?
Published December 7th, 2025Though a rather common lizard of the western United States, this beautiful medium sized lizard has some superhero powers. A member of the spiny lizard family, fence lizards have spiny grey, tan or brown scales with a white or yellow underside. Males often boast a beautiful blue belly or throat.
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