Willamette Riverkeeper

Enjoy family friendly river FUN for ALL at the Willamette River Festival!

August 22nd in Eugene, start with our Paddle PARADE, hop on a RAFT for a guided whitewater splash-and-giggle lap, jump into a river RACE or simply CHEER one on, and end the day with a DANCE party!

Details here: https://conta.cc/450B5TY

Join us for a riverside potluck party with our friends The Intertwine!

Party in the Park featuring Willamette Riverkeeper Join us by the river for our summertime Intertwine Connect!

Experiential learning is one of the BEST ways to build the next generation of river stewardship leaders!

We recently had the privilege of guiding an incredible group of high school students from the Marys River YOUTH Watershed Council on a paddle from Michael's Landing to Hyak Park.

Students gained canoe skills, swam, surveyed for freshwater mussels, learned about Aquatic Invasive Species and habitat restoration, discovered a new patch of native WAPATO, observed 9 bald eagles, and even navigated a thunderstorm!

THANKS to an incredibly curious and engaged group of students for making it such a memorable day on the river, and thanks as well to the Marys River Watershed Council for collaborating with us to help inspire the next generation of Willamette Watershed advocates!

The Willamette River Festival is returning in 2026! Taking place at the River House Beach in Eugene, this will be a full-day celebration of recreation and community directly on the banks of Oregon's iconic river. This year’s festival will feature both on-land and on-water activities, spirited paddling competitions, live music, food, and more.

To learn more about the festival and to register for the day's events, visit willametteriverfest.org – we look forward to seeing you on the river!

As yesterday's thunderstorms reminded many of us, we are entering the heart of a potentially dangerous fire season in the Willamette Valley. On Monday, our partners at Oregon State Parks announced a fire ban at all properties along the Willamette River Water Trail. To help protect our riparian ecosystems and keep our communities safe, all river users must refrain from building campfires or using any open flame device that cannot be immediately turned off with a valve.

Portable cooking stoves, propane fire rings, and barbecues using liquefied or bottled fuels with a shutoff valve are still permitted, but key steps are necessary to operate these devices safely.
• Keep the surrounding area free of flammable vegetation
• Have a shovel available for immediate use to smother a potential fire
• Have a minimum of 1 gallon of water or a 2.5 pound fire extinguisher immediately accessible

Every once in a while, it feels like a whole bunch of events end up piling up back-to-back-to-back, making for a frantic but very fun time on the river! That's exactly what happened last week, with volunteer-led river cleanups taking place in Portland, Corvallis, and Eugene over the span of just a few days. Over fifty committed volunteers turned out from throughout the watershed to Get Dirty for Good, and our crews were able to remove over 2500 pounds of trash from the Willamette River. We're so grateful for the support of all our volunteers who help build a vibrant community of stewardship along our beloved river.

To register as a volunteer for future cleanup events, just click the link in our bio or visit our website!

VOLUNTEER for a “Paddle + Pull” River Trip!

Our restoration team is conducting on-the-river surveys for two aquatic invasive species: yellow floating heart and garden yellow loosestrife. Both species can spread aggressively, so early detection is an important part of protecting the Willamette River system.

As part of this project, we are excited to once again host our Paddle + Pull events!

*We have a limited number of seats remaining in our canoes!*

Visit the links for INFO and REGISTRATION:

JULY 31: Corvallis, from Michael’s Landing to Hyak Park— https://tinyurl.com/23r92pn4

AUGUST 8: Salem, from Ediger Landing to Grand Island— https://tinyurl.com/545bw93v

Many thanks to the Oregon State W**d Board for funding this project!

Another great day to be on the Willamette! As part of our Learn to Paddle Your Willamette Water Trail series, we partnered with Outrider Adventures to present our first Canoeing 101 class to celebrate and create a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone to learn and enjoy a safe paddling experience.

Launching from West Linn Willamette Park, participants practiced basic skills before heading into the Willamette Narrows - a hidden, highly unique geological stretch of the river that offers a glimpse into unique, untouched habitats home to many animals such as osprey, great blue herons, bald eagles, river otters, minks, and beavers.

The day did not disappoint! Even with a few unexpected swims, the combination of beautiful summer weather, outdoor adventure and comradarie brought out the smiles and an excitement to learn! A special thanks to Outdoor Afro for helping us at the word out!

This program, Oregon State Marine Board Paddle” series this year, was funded in part by the Oregon State Marine Board Waterway Access Permits grant program.

What a MAGICAL evening! The energy was pure joy as the greater Eugene-Springfield community (and beyond!) came together for our annual sunset ! 🏳️‍🌈🚣🏽

A massive, sparkling THANK YOU to everyone who traveled from near and far to splash into the fun with us! We also send infinite gratitude to our incredible friends at Oregon Paddle Sports, City of Eugene Recreation and our rockstar team of volunteer safety paddlers for making this night safe and memorable.

🌈 We already cannot wait for next year! 🥳🎉

Join us in Eugene this Wednesday evening for our annual Pride Paddle co-hosted wit Oregon Paddle Sports and City of Eugene Recreation. This event is an awesome celebration of Pride with community on the river! Decorate and bring your own boat, borrow a kayak from Oregon Paddle Sports, or hop in one of our rafts captained by Willamette Riverkeeper staff. Costumes, bubbles, and smiles strongly encouraged!

Registration is available now at https://bit.ly/2026-pride-paddle


🌈❤️🌊