Community Presentations
On the first Thursday of every month, the MidCoast Watersheds Council hosts guest speakers at our community meetings. Below are the past presentations that have been shared with us. To see who will be speaking at our next meeting, be sure to check our News & Events page.
May 2019
Integrated stormwater management: Mike Broili
Over the past 150 years, most development has occurred without consideration of the impacts to the natural systems that sustain us. In the face of present day environmental issues coupled with the expected population growth in this region, we must collectively rethink how we develop our built environments and the impacts they have on hydrology and other supporting natural systems. Mike’s presentation described the techniques and tools used in restoring site hydrology in the built environment
Click on the title above to view the presentation.
april 2019
Ocean acidification and hypoxia: Caren Braby
Since the early 2000s, low-oxygen—or hypoxia—has been observed in Oregon’s coastal waters. In 2006, Oregon was one of the first places in the world to observe the direct impacts of ocean acidification. Since then, both ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) events are intensifying. There are now signs that these events are undermining the rich food webs of Oregon’s ocean and estuarine ecosystems, putting iconic fisheries and coastal communities that depend on them at risk. Caren’s presentation helped us understand the science behind OAH events, as well as what the state of Oregon is doing to achieve economic and ecosystem resilience in the face of them.
Click on the title above to view her presentation.
march 2019
Mid-coast fish district fisheries, stock status, and restoration: Paul Olmstead
At the Quarterly Meeting of the Siletz Watershed Council, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Mid-Coast Assistant District Biologist presented us with an overview of fall Chinook, coho, and steelhead fisheries and stock status, as well as an update on the restoration work ODFW is currently undergoing in the Siletz Basin and the projects they’ll begin there this summer.
Click on the title above to view his presentation.
Wave energy on the oregon coast: Burke Hales
Sources of renewable energy to complement existing solar and wind are needed to help Oregon reduce its contribution to climate change. Burke shared with us information on how wave energy can fill this niche, and the development of Oregon State University’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences’ wave test facility: PacWave.
Click on the title above to view his presentation.
February 2019
Twenty Years of Monitoring Stream Habitat and Salmon: Mark Stone
When you work as a Biosurveyor in Oregon’s Central Coast for over two decades, you are bound to see some beautiful places and meet some interesting faces along the way. Mark’s presentation was filled with some of his favorite photos and lively stories, reminding us that we are lucky to live and work in this region.
January 2019
orcas of the oregon coast: Colleen weiler
Did you know that orca whales follow a matrilineal social structure? That the endangered Southern Residents frequent the Oregon Coast? Or that restoring natural conditions to aquatic environments on land can help rebuild the salmon populations necessary for their survival? Colleen walked an eager crowd through all this and more.
Click on the title above to view her presentation.
2015
Predation on trout: implications for restoration. Brooke Penaluna. USFS.
Native Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest: Lifestyles of the benthic and sedentary. Shelly Miller. Pacific Northwest Freshwater Mussel Workgroup.