Village On The Lake Project

Oswego Lake Watershed Council is partnering with the Village on the Lake Homeowners Association (HOA) to conduct voluntary habitat enhancement on HOA commonly owned property. OLWC is excited to announce $15,000 of grant funding for this project from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) small grant program, with a partial cash match from the HOA. OLWC will be conducting active restoration at this site for two years. Tract C, a 1.9-acre natural open space, sits like a big bowl in the middle of surrounding home sites. Though relishing a very significant tree canopy, this riparian-wetland area surrounded by basalt escarpment is heavily impacted by invasive species, notable ivy along with some blackberry, holly, and laurel.

OLWC Staff, Contractors, and Volunteers with experience in invasive removal will be removing these plants to allow room for native species to flourish in this natural area for better functional, aesthetic and habitat integrity. We began working in January to remove ivy and other invasive species, and replant natives!

Our primary contractor for this project is Wisdom of the Elders (WOTE), a Native American workforce development program. WOTE has extensive experience using traditional ecological knowledge to improve local ecosystems, and is a contractor for organizations such as the City of Portland, Johnson Creek Watershed Council, Tryon Creek Watershed Council, and Friends of Trees. We are excited to continue this important work through the next two years. We are already seeing a lot of progress!

Want to learn more about this project, or help out? There are opportunities for neighbors and community members to volunteer with us on this project. Send us an email! Or, if you are a member of a Homeowners Association and want to learn more about stewardship of commonly owned property, please contact us!

Contact information:

Watershed Coordinator:  Jack Halsey
(503) 754-8770
jack@oswegowatershed.org

This salamander, Ensatina eschscholtzii, was found at the Village on the Lake site.