The Williams Creek Watershed Council (WCWC) is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization, formed in 1996 under the Governor’s
Salmon Recovery Plan for the State of Oregon. We are an
advisory body with the purpose of bringing residents,
government agencies and other organizations together to
address local watershed management issues.
Our Board of Directors represents the diverse interests
of our community. It shares a common and active interest
in promoting our mission, which is to “restore and
protect the natural diversity of the Williams Creek Watershed…[and]
to protect all natural ecosystems, so they can survive
and flourish to the benefit of all who reside within”.
Our council encourages a voluntary approach to ecological
restoration, conservation, and stewardship of the Williams
Creek Watershed.
The Williams Creek watershed encompasses 52,000 acres,
including approximately 3000 people in the unincorporated
rural community of Williams. Williams Creek is one of
the largest tributaries to the Applegate River, and has
some of the best native fish habitat in the Rogue Basin.
Our watershed contains spawning grounds of several species
of anadromous fish, including coho, steelhead and chinook
salmon, Pacific lamprey as well resident cutthroat trout.
Over 150 miles of potential fish habitat exist in Williams
Creek and its tributaries, including five miles of ‘core’
coho habitat, one of only three such areas in the greater
Applegate watershed. Baseline monitoring data indicates
that the Williams Creek watershed has some of the highest
potential for restoring healthy salmon runs in the Applegate
River system.
In 2000 the WCWC conducted the Williams Creek Watershed
Assessment and, from that, developed an Action Plan that
identifies and prioritizes restoration needs and conservation
opportunities within the watershed. Working with landowners
and natural resources agency representatives, we continue
to develop, design and implement successful “on-the-ground”
watershed restoration projects. Our education and outreach
activities promote public awareness within the Williams
community regarding watershed health, and provide community
members with opportunities and tools to improve and maintain
it. Strong community participation, volunteer efforts,
and partnerships with landowners, agencies and interested
groups all contribute to the success of Watershed Council
projects.
CALENDAR
WCWC
Boardmeetings :
are held on the 4th
Wednesday of every month at 7pm. WCWC Project meetings : are held as needed on the
2nd Wednesday of every month at 3pm.
Meetings are held at the WCWC office: 215
East Fork Road (upstairs
in the old firehouse.)
