Improving the Health
of our Watershed
We bring together watershed residents, landowners, and experts to improve the health of the Coos watershed. Rooted in science and driven by the balance between economic and environmental interests, our local, non-governmental network fosters effective communication and practical solutions for land management and restoration.
Who We Are
What We Do
What You Can Do
Announcements
2024 was a great year for CoosWA, and we are excited to tell you all about it!!
Check out our annual report, which includes photos and stories from some of our most exciting projects in 2024. This is a great place to learn about the types of work we do (restoration, monitoring, plants, invasive species, outreach, education, art, celebration...), how we are funded, how we use those funds, and who we need on our team to make this work happen.
All of our funds go to on-the-ground needs that tie directly to our mission. A large portion goes straight to local contractors, whether they are building bridges, putting logs into streams, producing videos, or painting murals. Look for the bold text throughout the report to see all of our amazing local contractors, without whom this work would simply not be possible.
Thank you for your support and partnership! We hope to see you around the watershed in 2025!
Celebrate Earth Day with friends! Enjoy a collaborative stewardship and education event at John Topits Park/Empire Lakes on April 19 from 1 pm to 3 pm with Coquille Indian Tribe, Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, Coos Watershed Association, South Slough Reserve, The Beet Food System, Coos Head Food Co-Op, Rogue Climate, Southwestern Oregon Community College, City of Coos Bay, Solve Oregon, and Adopt One Block. Volunteers can remove invasive species, plant native plants, pick up garbage, and visit activity booths to learn more about the local organizations that are caring for humans and the environment. Activities will include native plant propagation techniques, a crafty upcycling project to reduce waste, electro-fishing boat show and tell, a veggie start giveaway from a local farmer, and more! The Empire Lakes area is a crucial part of the Coos watershed—this is a great opportunity for us to come together and give it a healthy ecological boost!
*Important details*
- Please register here and arrive by 12:45
- Starbucks is donating coffee! Please bring a reusable mug if possible.
- We will be there rain or shine!
- For questions or help signing up, email kklietz@cooswatershed.org or call 541-888-5922
The Mayfly Festival is a free, all-ages, hands-on celebration of watershed ecology and interconnectedness through activities, games, live music, science, and art! It was created by the Coos Watershed Association and other local groups to shed light on the connections between community, the environment, and water.
What makes it special? You can dance to good music, eat some really good local food, make a costume, dip a net into the Mingus Pond to see what lives there, and learn about fish, insects, plants, compost, marine debris, gardening, the connections between human health and environmental health, and so much more!If you are a fan of music, nature, art, good food, and science, this is an event you will not want to miss! If you are interested in volunteering for the festival, click here. For updates, visit https://cooswatershed.org/mayfly-festival/ and follow the Coos Watershed Association on social media.
Join us for one Saturday a month at our native plant nursery! This is a magical place to spend time while having a positive, lasting impact on the Coos watershed.
Native plants, those that are only found here on the South Coast, offer a multitude of benefits, historically, culturally, and ecologically. Whether they’re growing along a streambank in the forest, alongside a parking lot in town, or in your own backyard, native plants offer many benefits:
- Provide shade and cover along streams, which keeps the water cool for salmon and other species
- Prevent erosion on steep banks
- Capture runoff in yards and driveways
- Filter stormwater, especially when used in rain gardens and bioswales
- Provide wildlife habitat (birds, mammals, insects)
- Support ecological food web
Are you interested in the diversity of fish in our waterways? Become a CoosWA intern! We work year-round to monitor fish populations, tagging fish with microchips and noting species, size, and weight. This information is important in monitoring the populations of the federally threatened Coho salmon, along with many others. Depending on the season, interns may help with seining (walking through the water with a big net), spawning surveys (counting adult spawning salmon), or with the operations of a rotary screw trap that collects juvenile fish for us to examine and tag. See our employment page for job description and more info.
