McKenzie River Cleanup Success - Thank You Volunteers!

This past Sunday, October 27th, a dedicated group of volunteers braved sporadic showers to clean up the lower McKenzie River at Armitage Park.

Volunteer Matthew Kramer brought along his raft, offering a few other volunteers a chance to float between Harvest Landing and Armitage. Volunteers bonded over fishing and river stories, sharing the experiences that connect them to these waters. One of the most rewarding parts of events like these is seeing new relationships develop between people who care deeply about their local rivers and wild fish.

Oregon State University’s Hydrophiles Club co-organized the event and several graduate students from OSU’s Water Resources Program represented the group, including fishing guide Luke Hatch. It was great to partner with OSU students and we hope to organize more events together in the future! And take note UO students–we’d love to have you join us in the future as well! Don't let the Beavers have all the watery and fishy fun!

Though our numbers may have been few, we still made a big impact, removing about 200 lbs of trash from the river and riparian area of the lower McKenzie! After the cleanup, a few of us enjoyed delicious food and beer specials at Falling Sky Brewery in Eugene.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us on the McKenzie this Sunday and a big thank-you to Falling Sky Brewery for their continued support of Native Fish Society!

If you’re interested in coordinating a river cleanup on your own homewaters, please reach out to us at info@nativefishsociety.org - we’d love to help support your stewardship efforts!