Other restoration efforts can focus on restoring riparian vegetation which may be beneficial to both land managers as well as to fish and wildlife. Healthy riparian zones are highly productive wildlife areas providing both food and habitat. A watershed is an area of land that is drained by a distinct stream or river system and is separated from other watersheds by ridge top boundaries. Often called a drainage basin or hydrologic unit, a watershed can cover a large multi-state area like the Columbia River watershed or a relatively small area, like the watershed of a small stream, pond, or wetland. In a healthy watershed, native vegetation and wetlands intercept snow and rain that falls in the watershed, slowing the flow of water as it travels through the watershed, removing pollutants, and allowing water to percolate into the ground and recharge groundwater supplies.
Watershed restoration depends on successful long-term partnerships.
Every square foot of ground in Oregon is part of a watershed. How each of us manages the land we live on or depend on affects the function of a watershed. How we manage the vegetation, the use of lands, the disposal of waste all contributes or detracts from watershed functions. Communities rely on healthy watersheds for the life giving water and for the economic benefits derived from the quality and quantity of water they provide. Water for agriculture, domestic use, industry, and fish and wildlife is essential for healthy communities.