The Oregon Legislature and Governor’s Office wanted to create a statewide network of councils that help to implement the Governor’s Plan for Salmon & Watersheds. Today, councils represent a broad range of community stakeholder interests and are managed by the community members themselves (Network of Oregon Watershed Councils, 2018).

Most watershed councils in this state receive funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) and some also receive funding from the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund (administered by NOAA). These state and federal funds allow watershed councils to handle local watershed issues in their own way, investing in projects that represent local priorities (Network of Oregon Watershed Councils, 2018).

A watershed is an area of land in which the rain or snowmelt drains into a common outlet like a river or an estuary. The watershed is defined by the local topography; mountain ranges often separate neighboring watersheds. Watersheds are also known as drainage basins (Yamhill Watershed Council, 2018).

This is the ancestral homeland of the Kalapuya Indians, which consists of beautiful streams and wetlands along with iconic Pacific Northwest species like hazelnuts, salmonberries, and Douglas-firs. Agriculture and logging have altered the natural state of the basin, but urbanization in this region was not as significant as in surrounding areas. Today, the Pudding River still suffers from chemical pollution (largely from fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides), making the work of Pudding River Watershed Council immensely important (Orr et al, 1992).