In an ever-changing world, resilience is the key.
Our mission
Enhance resilience in Rogue River watersheds through ecological restoration and engagement with community partners.
Ecological restoration; the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.
Our vision
We envision Rogue River ecosystems and communities that can survive and thrive in the face of an ever-changing world.
Resilience; the ability to recover quickly from disturbances or challenges.
Our values
Long-term watershed health is dependent on collaborative and practical science-based solutions that benefit aquatic ecosystems and the people who use watershed resources.
Watershed Councils - Oregon's best idea
In Oregon in the late 1990s, salmon and steelhead populations were facing a significant decline. And it made sense. Habitat loss, development, and many other challenges were threatening the survival of these iconic Pacific fish. Fortunately, the Oregon governor at the time had a solution -- community-based organizations that are led by professionals, known as watershed councils.
On January 1, 2015, four independent watershed councils: Bear Creek Watershed Council, Little Butte Creek Watershed Council, Upper Rogue Watershed Association, and the Stream Restoration Alliance of the Middle Rogue merged to become the Rogue River Watershed Council. Due to changes in funding and an interest in improving the efficiency and capacity of the organizations to do meaningful work, the four individual watershed councils felt that their goals could best be met by merging the four separate entities. Following the initial 2016 merger, RRWC and Valleys of the Rogue Watershed Council merged in late February 2023, with recognition of the further value that this merger will ultimately bring to water quality, streams and streamside areas, and community resilience in our area.
