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Corvallis Watershed Opens For Annual Public Tours

On Thursday (5/24) the public is invited to take a tour of the Rock Creek Watershed. The forest west of Corvallis is where the city gets one third of its water.

The City of Corvallis owns this wooded property in the coast range near Mary’s Peak. Andy Williams is water treatment specialist at the Rock Creek Treatment plant. He takes me on a driving tour of the watershed…
Williams: “I’m responsible for 24-hundred acres of the city property. And, I take it very seriously, I mean, as far as my water treatment and taking care of this place.”
The water comes from the Rock Creek Reservoir and two creeks. The gravity fed plant was built in the 1950s. It processes 3-million gallons of drinking water a day for the City of Corvallis. Once a year, the property is opened to public tours. That tour is on May 24th.

The tour will start at 5 p.m. at Corvallis City Hall and is expected to last about three hours, including travel time. Round trip transportation will be provided by the City. The tour is free, but space is limited and advance registration is required beginning May 1. To register, call the Corvallis Public Works Department at 541-766-6916 or email publicworks@corvallisoregon.gov.
This year's tour will focus on recent forest management activities as well as a closer look at the water treatment process. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the Watershed Management Advisory Board, City staff, and tour presenters. Tour stops will involve walking on gravel roads, so participants should dress for the terrain and the weather.
Management of the forest is guided by the Corvallis Forest Stewardship Plan, which was developed by the City and a volunteer citizen advisory board. The plan was updated in 2012. More information about the plan can be found on the City's website
 

Rachael McDonald is KLCC’s host for All Things Considered on weekday afternoons. She also is the editor of the KLCC Extra, the daily digital newspaper. Rachael has a BA in English from the University of Oregon. She started out in public radio as a newsroom volunteer at KLCC in 2000.
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