Dear supporter,

We hope that the summer is treating you all well! Executive Director Jason Wedemeyer started earlier this month, and we are very excited about him bringing his experience as an organizational leader to the Steelheaders. With our leadership and volunteers, we will continue to provide high-quality experiences and a supportive environment for our membership. 

As a member, your support has allowed us to continue working toward salmon abundance throughout the region, increasing angling opportunities for ourselves and future generations, and educating the students of the Portland metro area on the importance of our work. We're grateful for your support throughout the years and we can't wait to announce what we have in store for you. 

Cheers to you and another year of getting the Steelheaders community out on the water.

All of us at Northwest Steelheaders

2022 Down the River Clean Up Day

Do you fish on the Clackamas River? On September 11th this year, you can get out and clean up the 22-mile stretch of the Clackamas River from Estacada to the confluence with the Willamette River in Oregon City. It's the perfect opportunity to take part in the largest and longest-running cleanup event of its kind in Oregon while cleaning up your fishing spot. You can get out in a drift boat and any other safe vessel to scour the stream bed and banks for trash. The day wraps up with a free BBQ for all volunteers, complete with music, a raffle, and a silent auction, so there's an even bigger incentive to get out and help.

Visit the link below to learn more, and respond to this email letting us know if you plan to attend! 

On the Blog: Climate and Drought Resilience

By Mia Fox
July 27, 2022

When Oregon’s next governor takes office, they are set to inherit a myriad of ecoregions ranging from the temperate rainforests of the Coast and West Cascade mountain ranges to the sagebrush country of the Northern Basin. Almost every ecosystem within these regions is currently experiencing its driest period in 1,200 years. Deemed a megadrought, this period of dryness shows no signs of stopping with recent research citing human-caused climate change from greenhouse gas emissions as a significant driver. Regardless of the cause, as anglers, drier temperature means higher rates of evaporation on waterways and increased mortality to coldwater species of fish like salmon and steelhead. Less water ultimately means shrinking fish populations and habitats which could spur shorter seasons and smaller bag limits.

Though local waterways have evolved resilience to handle both dry and wet periods, this severe alteration of the landscape and frequency of precipitation is having a myriad of impacts on the future of our waterways. Many watersheds are now hindered in their ability to handle extreme dryness or precipitation. Waterways in Oregon irrigate crops, provide drinking water, serve as critical habitat for fish and wildlife, as well as support a 16.4 billion dollar outdoor recreation economy. Protecting water access is imperative as our climate becomes increasingly hot and dry. The future of angling, commercial fishing, irrigators and Oregon as a whole depends on cool water.

Currently, the Drought Readiness Council, composed of state officials and scientists, evaluates county drought declarations. As of publication, 17 counties in Oregon have declared drought — 47% of all counties.

Head over to our blog to finish reading!

Don't Forget: Log Your Volunteer Hours!

Don't forget to report the volunteer hours you work! You can report them directly to the association at the link below, or to your chapter representatives.

When you log your hours, we are able to show ODFW how much labor we provided them, proving our value as a partner and allowing us to secure funding when possible. It also shows us what programs and events you all are interested in getting involved with so we can expand and improve them. At the very least, please report your volunteer hours as we need to report them on our Form 990.

Thank you for volunteering with us and thank you for reporting your hours!

In Memorium

This month, the Steelheaders community lost Carl Patrick, a long-time Steelheader and member of the Newberg chapter. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family. We at the Steelheaders send our sincerest condolences to all who are mourning the loss of Mr. Patrick.

Chapter Meetings

A few chapters have resumed Monthly Chapter Meetings in-person, and we hope to get everyone meeting as soon as possible! To get more detailed meeting information please visit our Events Calendar. If you're having trouble finding a meeting you can attend, please reach out to us at office@anws.org and we'll help you out. As always, Chapter Meetings are free and open to the public. If you're new to Northwest Steelheaders, attending a meeting is a great first step to getting more involved with your local fishing community. 

Upcoming Meetings

• McLoughlin Chapter - Tuesday, August 9 @ 7 pm
• Columbia River Chapter - Wednesday, August 10 @ 6:30 pm

On Vacation Until September:

• Mid-Valley Chapter - Thursday, September 1 @ 7 pm
• Emerald Empire Chapter - Tuesday, September 6 @ 7 pm
• Sandy River Chapter - Thursday, September 8 @ 6:30 pm
• Tualatin Valley Chapter  - Thursday, September 8 @ 7 pm
• Salem Chapter - Thursday, September 21 @ 7 pm
• Tom McCall Chapter - Wednesday, October 19 @ 11:30 am