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Electric mobility seems to be everywhere these days, but does availability equal accessibility? Here at EWEB we’ve determined that the answer is ‘no’ and are working to bridge that gap through EV car shares, community grants and electric bike rebates.
Find Out MoreIn Eugene, we take pride in knowing we have one of the cleanest power portfolios in the nation. Roughly 90% of Eugene's power comes from carbon-free hydroelectric energy. And EWEB has a long history offering robust conversation programs. But we wanted to do more, so we launched Lead Green, a suite of programs for climate innovators looking to support renewable energy and take action on climate change. In the year since Lead Green was launched, we've accomplished a lot we can be proud of.
Find Out MoreLearn some of the many ways EWEB customers support local schools and help inspire kids to explore the wonders of watershed health and clean energy resources.
Find Out MoreNational Infrastructure Week (May 14-20) may be a politically charged quip on the national stage, but for EWEB, the urgency and importance of infrastructure is no joke.
Find Out MoreBy upgrading substations – key nodes in the electric grid – EWEB is investing today in a resilient electric grid for the future.
Find Out MoreSeventh graders in the Bethel School District put their handmade wind turbines to the test in a wind power challenge supported by EWEB grants last week.
Find Out MoreMillions of dollars of investment have prevented the major harm from the Holiday Farm Fire, EWEB’s annual State of the Watershed Report finds.
Find Out MoreEWEB employs multiple methods of safeguarding drinking water, from the source to the tap.
Find Out MoreThe application period is now open for the Electric Mobility Community Grants. Mobility Grants of up to $25,000 will be awared to five nonprofits, schools and academic intitutions, government and other public agencies to cover costs associated with their electric mobility projects.
Find Out MoreEWEB's Greenpower subscribers voted to award this year's Greenpower Grant to Friends of Trees, a local nonprofit that brings trees to areas of Eugene and Springfield with low tree equity.
Find Out MoreFollow along as the Currin Substation, the first of 10 substations in 10 years, is rebuilt from the ground up as part of EWEB's Capital Improvement Plan for major infrastructure investments to rehabilitate, replace, and install new infrastructure.
Find Out MoreEWEB is excited to announce the eligible candidates for the 2023 Greenpower Grant! The winner of the Greenpower Grant will be voted on by Greenpower subscribers. Learn more about each origanization and their proposal before casting your vote.
Find Out MoreOld reservoir leaks, threatening water quality, and will fail when a major earthquake strikes.
Find Out MoreCrews are identifying and addressing equipment failures before wildfire season and doing so mitigates risk of fire ignition.
Find Out MoreCarbon is everywhere. But do we really understand what it is and what is being referred to when people mention it? We are taking it back to the basics in this article that breaks down carbon and explains what it is at it's most basic element and why we need to pay attention to it.
Find Out MoreNovember 09, 2020
In the aftermath of the Holiday Farm Fire, EWEB is working with our Pure Water Partners and McKenzie Valley landowners to mitigate pollutants, including sediment, and prevent them from entering the river, impacting water quality and complicating drinking water treatment processes.
For the past six weeks, nearly 30 young adults from Northwest Youth Corps have worked in the fire-ravaged watershed while living in temporary campsites at EWEB's Lloyd Knox Park.
Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) is a non-profit organization that offers teenagers an education-based work experience modeled after the historic Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s. According to NYC Executive Director Jeff Parker, the purpose is to help youth and young adults learn, grow, and experience success.
"Our participants and leaders are grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Holiday Farm Fire recovery efforts with EWEB and the Pure Water Partners," says Jeff. "To be working in our own watershed adds even deeper importance to our conservation service work."
For young crews working in the McKenzie Valley, the primary task has been building and installing erosion control measures such as wattles and sediment fences. Wattles are rolls of fibers wrapped in netting that deflect and direct water flow while trapping sediment.
NYC crews making handmade wattles.
When installed along burned riparian areas, wattles help prevent increased sediment and fire-related compounds such as organic carbon, nutrients and metals from washing into the McKenzie River, currently Eugene's sole source of drinking water.
In just three days, NYC crews built 108 20-foot wattles.
Instead of relying on commercially available wattles which are typically filled with non-native plant materials and covered in plastic mesh, the young workers are making hand-made wattles out of jute webbing. The wattles are stuffed with willow branches harvested locally and with wood chips from trees burned in the fire.
Willow branches from Walterville Pond are used to fill the wattles and stake them in place.
"These young adults are environmentally conscious and education-driven; they want to learn," says EWEB environmental specialist Kris Stenshoel.
As part of their training, Kris tutors each crew about native plants, riparian zones and watershed ecosystems.
"We talk about EWEB's connection to the river through our hydro generation projects and our community's reliance on the McKenzie for clean drinking water, as well as threats to the watershed," he says. "The kids see themselves making a long-term impact on the health of the river and that gives them a personal connection to the work."
In addition to building willow wattles, youth crews are installing sediment fences and reseeding with native species to prevent intensely burned areas from losing topsoil with the heavy winter rains.
Since mid-October, Northwest Youth Corps has installed about 5,250 feet of wattles—that's nearly a mile!
"This recovery effort will be an important chapter in the story of the McKenzie watershed," says NYC Director Jeff Parker. "We are proud to help the healing and restoration of the land, water, and community."
Learn more about Holiday Farm Fire recovery and watershed restoration.
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