The Clean Rivers Coalition (CRC) is a collaborative network comprised of over 60 partners, including local municipalities, state and federal agencies, watershed councils, soil & water conservation districts, and water-related nonprofits. The coalition works within communities and across stakeholders to deliver water awareness and behavior change campaigns in an equitable, inclusive, and culturally appropriate manner that reaches and benefits diverse populations.
The Clean Rivers Coalition (CRC) is a collaborative network comprised of over 60 partners, including local municipalities, state and federal agencies, watershed councils, soil & water conservation districts, and water-related nonprofits. The coalition works within communities and across stakeholders to deliver water awareness and behavior change campaigns in an equitable, inclusive, and culturally appropriate manner that reaches and benefits diverse populations.
The Clean Rivers Coalition was formed in 2016 with a steering committee of representative voices from around the state. The heart of the Coalition’s work is building outreach campaigns supporting water quality protection and personal connection to our waterways, as well as hosting an annual forum to bring our partners together and plan for future outreach targets and strategies. Our campaigns reach communities through ambient web presence and targeted advertising, social media, and on-the-ground behavior change work using Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM) techniques.
In 2019, The Clean Rivers Coalition commissioned a survey of 1,000 Oregonians to serve as a foundation for our understanding of our audience. Many people are not aware of the health of our rivers and streams or how their actions are connected to water pollution or protection. However, they hold strong values around protecting our water, and their inclination to act increases with stronger connection to these waters. We aim to develop a cultural connection between people and their local waterways, and to build an understanding of actions needed to protect water resources.
Our Work
Follow the Water, launched in April 2022, is The Clean Rivers Coalition‘s first major public outreach campaign. This campaign serves to amplify the “voice of water” through hope and curiosity, unify messages around clean water, and serve people throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, including the communities along the middle and lower Columbia River and coast. The campaign is built on the notion that water health is not a local issue, but a region-wide issue that requires regional solutions with statewide support. And that through collaboration and sharing, our outreach work will be more effective.
Identifying the pollutants of concern that are present in many lawn fertilizers and herbicides as a meaningful next focus, The Clean Rivers Coalition launched a series of campaigns providing educational and actionable information about low to no chemical lawn maintenance, targeting the actions of avoiding “weed and feed” and quick-release fertilizer products, and encouraging alternative lawn treatments including overseeding, mulch mowing, and spot-treating weeds as necessary. Outreach efforts addressing this topic include the What’s Your Lawn Style? and Level Up Your Lawn campaigns, and Latinx Landscaper and Green Up Your Lawn community programs.
The Clean Rivers Coalition is constantly evolving and assessing new facets of water awareness and protection to champion with our efforts – see ways to Get Involved to support or help shape future campaigns!
Our Partners
CRC Steering Committee Members:
- Lara Christensen, Oak Lodge Water Services
- Erinne Goodell, Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
- Roy Iwai, Multnomah County – Steering Committee Chair
- Eric Lambert, Clark County Public Works
- Brooke Mossefin, City of Springfield
- Benjamin Poaster, Rogue Valley Sewer Services
- Christine Lazina, Rogue Valley Sewer Services
- Deborah Topp, City of Salem
- Stacy Teller, City of Salem
- Jenny Ammon, City of Keizer
- Stacey Perry, City of Keizer
- Marcos Kubow, City of Oregon City
- Rachel Perry, City of Eugene
- Nathan Woods, Washington Department of Ecology
For more information about CRC and how to get involved, please visit our Contact page.
Representatives from over 60 organizations across Oregon and Washington have contributed to CRC’s work. The list of organizations includes:
Benton County
Benton Soil and Water Conservation District
Changing Currents (Affiliated Tribes of the NW Indians)
City of Albany *
City of Bend
City of Camas *
City of Corvallis
City of Creswell
City of Eugene *
City of Gladstone *
City of Gresham *
City of Keizer *
City of Lake Oswego *
City of Milwaukie *
City of Oregon City *
City of Portland *
City of Salem *
City of Silverton
City of Springfield *
City of Tigard *
City of Troutdale *
City of West Linn *
City of Wilsonville *
City of Wood Village
Clackamas County Water Environment Services *
Clackamas River Basin Council
Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation District
Clark County *
Clean Water Services *
Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council
Columbia Slough Watershed Council
Corvallis Sustainability Coalition
East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District
Eugene Water and Electric Board
Hood River Watershed Group
Johnson Creek Watershed Council
Luckiamute Watershed Council
Marion County
Marion Soil & Water Conservation District
Mary’s River Watershed Council
McKenzie Watershed Council
Meyer Memorial Trust Willamette River Initiative *
Multnomah County *
North Santiam Watershed Council
NW Center for Alternatives to Pesticides
Oak Lodge Water Services *
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
Oregon Department of Parks & Recreation
Oregon Environmental Council
Oregon State University Master Gardeners
Polk County Community Development
Pollution Prevention Resource Center – EcoBiz
Port of Portland
Portland State University
Rogue Valley Council of Governments
Rogue Valley Sewer Services *
Rogue Riverkeeper
Sandy River Watershed Council
SOLVE
South Santiam Watershed Council
Tualatin Riverkeeper
Tualatin Soil & Water Conservation District
US Environmental Protection Agency *
US Geological Survey
Wasco County Soil & Water Conservation District
Willamette Partnership
Willamette Riverkeeper
* Denotes CRC Funding Partner
Clean Rivers Coalition 