Engaging the Community on Water Quality Issues

On hot summer days what sounds more tempting than tubing down the river or fishing along babbling brooks as you soak your feet in chilled water?  Protecting water quality! Often times we forget cities work hard to lessen their impact on the rivers so we can enjoy them.  Oakridge is a small city the Community Planning Workshop (CPW) is currently helping, so they can take an innovative non-regulatory approach to meet the requirements for protecting and enhancing water quality along the Middle Fork Willamette. The result will be a surface water management program where results hinge on engaging and involving the community.

So “water” we doing to engage the community? On Tuesday, July 30, CPW organized a community outreach event to meet with homeowners primarily along the river. The purpose was to give residents information to address surface water issues on their own property, like managing storm water on site and identifying invasive species. We also wanted to hear their opinions and perceptions about the river, but what makes an event that sounds bureaucratic and formal successful?

That was the same question we had. Our strategy was to advertise a fun, informal, and festive event right off the bat through a general news release and customized letters to our target audience. We invited regional partners to engage with the residents while letting the residents enjoy live music, eat food, win door prizes, play invasive species bingo, and participate in children’s activities. All in all, it worked! The event was a great success – we had about fifty people attend, which met our expectations. Meeting with residents in small groups gave us the opportunity to clear up any misconceptions about regulations and hear what they want to see the city do in terms of managing water quality.

As we move forward we are incorporating our discussions with the community into the management program to make a product that represents the community’s needs and gathers its support. So on the next hot day when water is calling your name, remember “water” you doing?

About the Author: Casey Hanson is a MCRP student and enjoys playing soccer, discovering new recipes in the kitchen, and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.