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Riverkeeper warns of rising river rescues, highlights invasive plants and mussel monitoring
Summary
Upper Willamette Riverkeeper reported an increase in river rescues, described invasive aquatic plants and native mussel monitoring, and said volunteers and partner agencies will focus on safety and restoration ahead of summer recreation season.
Michelle Emmons told the meeting that river recreation is rising and that safety incidents and rescues have increased. "We're seeing more different types of watercraft in the river…we're seeing more rescues and things like that," she said, noting a hazardous recirculation area behind the Millrace Dam where agencies conduct frequent rescues and cited roughly 40 rescues last year in that location.
Emmons also described ecological threats: invasive aquatic plants such as Ludwigia (yellow floating heart) can form dense mats that block navigation and alter habitat, and Riverkeeper conducts mussel surveys to track native shellfish recovery. She said volunteers are trained for safety and that Riverkeeper partners with Eugene and Springfield fire departments, Oregon State Parks and the Marine Board on education and river-trail mapping.
