MRW will work with the Molalla River Improvement District, Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management to assess the condition of the river, from its mouth near Canby to the Glen Avon Bridge.

MRW executive director Kay Patteson said the coalition of groups will commission studies encompassing water temperature, aquatic habitat, erosion and geomorphology, or the pattern of the river’s movement.

Once the studies are finished, the work on a long-term plan for the watershed can begin.

Patteson cites several major areas of concern regarding the current state of the river.

“The lack of good quality fish habitat, the movement of the river and sedimentation that occurs because of erosion are two of the major problems in the water quality,” she said. “High water temperature is another major problem.”

In the past, Patteson said, well-intentioned actions by some riverfront property owners have caused problems for other river sections downstream. It’s a problem she hopes to avoid with the current rehabilitation plan.

“Sometimes people would place rock along the river’s edge to control erosion,” she said.

“When water hits a rock wall, the hydrology is such that it actually speeds up and starts heading for another section of stream and causes erosion there.”

In carrying out the water quality assessment, the long-term goal is to look at the river as a whole system, she said.

“The idea is to look at the river in its entirety so that one project doesn’t negatively impact the river in another location,” she said. “Then we’ll be trying to design projects that benefit fish and wildlife and water quality.”

Molalla RiverWatch will deal with assessing the portion of the river from Highway 213 to the Glen Avon Bridge, while the Molalla River Improvement District will handle the lower portion of the river.

MRID, a tax district that was formed in the 1940s to deal primarily with flood issues, has since turned its focus largely to water-quality issues.

MRID vice president Alan Gallagher said volunteers take water samples and work with local landowners on river improvement projects.

Gallagher said he sees the process of developing the Molalla River rehabilitation plan as a way for local groups concerned about the river to become more connected.

“Usually when there’s a crisis, we all get together and do our various parts,” he said. “But we’re one of the few rivers that hasn’t developed a watershed council. This is a step in that direction.”

Once the assessment piece of the project is complete, the groups will hold public meetings to describe the project goals and objectives and garner support.

Money for the Governor’s Fund comes from settlements collected in criminal pollution cases gathered nationwide and allotted to the various states.

The fund is administered by the Governor’s Office, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In addition to the $45,000 MRW is receiving from the fund, groups involved in the project have agreed to provide matching funds or donated staff time, totaling $42,000.

Patteson said the group is hoping to see more funds come in through additional grants.