Follow the Water is the work of the Clean Rivers Coalition, a voluntary collaborative partnership of over 60 water organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. We work together to bring you insights about WATER—the science, the stories, and the positive actions we can take—from diverse voices in our communities.

Stories from our Community
Water will take you where you need to go...

Are we disconnected from our water?
Chapter Two: Disconnection
Do you know where your drinking water comes from? Do you know where your rainwater goes? We have an expectation that we can turn on the tap and we know that good clean water is there but we have lost our connection to our water.

You Will Learn
"We're often disconnected from water because we don't have to go get it" - Katie Holzer
How can we live in a way that is more in tune with the land so that it can continue to provide for us?

Did you know?

Understanding Local Place Names
Willamette, pronounced “will-AM-it,” is derived from the Kalapuyan word wallamt, which means “still water,” describing a place on the river near Oregon City. The Kalapuya were one of many tribes who lived year round or seasonally in the Willamette Valley before being removed during the reservation era. Descendants from Kalapuya and all these tribes, including Molalla, Clackamas and Chinook peoples, still maintain cultural, spritual, or harvesting ties to the area.
Willamette River, Willamette Water Trail, Willamette National Forest, Willamette Valley
For more on place names, visit - TravelOregon.com
Follow The Water
Follow the Water is about our relationship with our water in Oregon, and Southwest Washington.
It's Women's History Month, and we want to highlight Maritza Oropeza Kritz, a volunteer leader, educator, and ambassador for Latino Outdoors.
We love her poem "Sana Sana," which translates to "heal, heal." We couldn't help but think of the Spanish saying, "sana, sana colita de rana," which is culturally significant to Latino/a/x/e communities. Learned at an early age, the saying is a consolation that healing is on the way.
Sana Sana by Maritza Oropeza Kritz
I walk amongst the trees
Brisk breeze flowing through my hair
I look up at my ancestors
Protectors of the land
Whispers of cries
What have we done to the land?
I follow their cries to the mountains
Gazing at our beloved earth
I see her yearning of thirst
Empty forest and black clouds
On the brink of collapse
Lands bare and seas empty
Senseless wars against nature
Man’s envy has overcome his humanity
Days are numbered
As we drift closer to extinction
What have we done to the land?
Nourish our earth for she will always forgive
Our shelter of wonders
Do not destroy her innocence
Our strength in numbers can heal
The earth is our teacher
The earth is our mother
The earth is our home
Without our home, we are nothing
#WomensHistoryMonth #MesDeLaMujer ... See MoreSee Less
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Call for Submissions and Cover Artist: Vol 2 of Voices of the River - Confluence Project ... See MoreSee Less
Call for Submissions and Cover Artist: Vol 2 of Voices of the River - Confluence Project
www.confluenceproject.org
Call for Submissions and Cover Artist: Vol 2 of Voices of the River Confluence Staff January 17, 2023 Confluence is pleased to announce that we are currently accepting submissions for the second volum...Comment on Facebook
The Haystack Rock Awareness Program volunteers have been flexing their mussels to protect our sea stars 💪!
Volunteers from the Haystack Rock Awareness Program of the City of Cannon Beach have been surveying the sea star population in the wake of a wasting disease that has become common among the species in recent years. This disease is closely tied with mussel populations, as they are a primary source of prey for sea stars.
Harvesting mussels—or collecting plants or animals—from the rock and surrounding boulders of Haystack Rock is illegal and has a direct impact on its unique ecosystem. It is considered poaching.
Mussel harvesting is permitted elsewhere along Oregon’s rocky shores. The Haystack Rock Awareness Program seeks to broadcast that message, while highlighting the protected nature of Haystack Rock—one of Oregon’s seven marine gardens.
Check out the great work being done by the Haystack Rock Awareness Program and learn more about sea stars and mussels with Kelli Ennis, the director of the program: www.opb.org/article/2023/02/21/mussel-poaching-haystack-rock/ ... See MoreSee Less
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