RRNW was happy to host our second annual Stories of Our Watersheds film event in April. The event was a big success and presented fifteen short films that share experiences and foster dialogue about multidisciplinary approaches to stream restoration and watershed and river science. The selected films showcase placement of large wood in streams for salmon habitat, conservation, stormwater, sediment transport, community involvement, and water quality. A RRNW panel reviewed numerous films and the 15 films selected for this event represent a variety of conservation organizations, tribes, watershed councils, agencies, and filmmakers. See the table below for a list of films.
Film |
Synopsis |
Submitting Organization |
2.17.2015 – Oregon Chub Day | A celebration of the Oregon Chub being removed from the endangered species list. | Freshwaters Illustrated |
Canton Creek | Stream and restoration ecologist Charley Dewberry is on Canton Creek, a major tributary of the North Umpqua river in Oregon. The Pacific Rivers Council and Charley have been working on stream surveys to layout habitat restoration and protection on the watershed that lies within O and C lands. Learn how forests and wood is essential for the heath of our salmon species. Just one piece of wood can essentially create natures hatchery. | North Fork Studios/ Pacific Rivers Council |
Finding the Salmon Signal | Why is monitoring so important for salmon recovery? Finding the Salmon Signal illustrates and educates the audience on the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, or SRFB, monitoring program through field examples, expert insights, and a basic summary of the monitoring components. | Wahoo Films |
The Lost Fish | In the Columbia Basin, millions of conservation dollars have been spent on Pacific Salmon. Yet, Pacific Lamprey has slipped through the cracks. Tribes have taken the management of Pacific lamprey into their own hands and are fighting to bring attention to the struggle of a lost fish. | Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission |
Down the River Cleanup 2014 | On September 7, 2014, hundreds of volunteers convened on the Clackamas River for the 12th annual Down the River Clean Up. We Love Clean Rivers, Clackamas River Basin Council, and Clackamas County were among the coalition of partners that sponsored this event designed to remove trash from the river and keep people out on the water. | Clackamas County |
Holding Class in a Habitat Restoration Site | A habitat restoration project on an island north of Portland is incorporating middle school students in a unique educational experience. The work, funded by BPA, will reconnect tidal wetlands on Sauvie Island with the Columbia River to provide habitat, refuge and food resources for juvenile salmon. | Bonneville Power Administration |
Crystal Clear | A short documentary about the rehabilitation and restoration of Crystal Springs Creek in Portland, Oregon. | Straw Bale Films |
Congo River: Artery of the Forest | Researchers from the Woods Hole Research Center collected water samples from the Congo River and its major tributaries to understand how climate change and land use (agriculture, logging) can be measured through the properties of the water. The epic journey took the team the length of the Republic of Congo from the capital city of Brazzaville to the jungles of the far north. Along the way the science team surveyed nearly 40 different rivers that are all part of the massive Congo River watershed. | Chris Linder Photography |
Depave: St Mary’s Church | A profile by filmmaker Ian Maddaus of regreening work done in 2013 by Depave, the Johnson Creek Watershed Council, Green Lents and the Saint Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Church congregation in partnership with the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services. | Depave |
Decommissioning abandoned roads for fish | BPA teamed up with the Nez Perce Tribe and the U.S. Forest Service in central Idaho to address old, abandoned logging roads on public lands that can threaten salmon and steelhead habitat. Find out how dirt roads can impact ESA fish and just what it means to decommission a road. | Bonneville Power Administration |
Restoring Juvenile Habitat – Oxbow Conservation Area, Middle Fork John Day River | The Oxbow Conservation Area, located on the Middle Fork John Day River, exhibits critical habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead. Dredge mining severely channelized the riverbed in the 1940s leading to a straightened channel and disconnected floodplain. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs teamed up with a variety of partners to restore two miles of river channel affected by mining. This film summarizes work accomplished in 2014 on the third of five phases of restoration to the site. | Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs/Bureau of Reclamation |
Port Susan Marine Stewardship Area | Located in Washington State, the Port Susan Marine Stewardship Area is a haven for wildlife, and a mecca for people to escape back to nature. Protecting the area now and into the future, while recognizing the values and needs of the people living on its shore, presents a unique challenge. | Transect Films |
Restoring Rainbow Bend: Good for People and Fish | The Cedar River provides critical salmon habitat in Seattle’s backyard and drinking water to 1.4 million people, but it is also prone to dangerous flooding. The Rainbow Bend project moved people out of harm’s way and restored the floodplain to improve the health of the Cedar River. | FrahmComm and King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks |
Discover Rock Creek | A video showcasing the importance of Rock Creek and the hard work and dedication of organizations and volunteers to revitalize and restore Rock Creek in Happy Valley, Oregon. | Clackamas County |
How Wood Works | A brief look at the history of large wood removal from Northwest rivers, the movement to re-wood streams, and the science that continues to guide this work. | Freshwaters Illustrated |