Rep. Nancy Nathanson (District 13) knelt by the slow-moving water of the McKenzie River on a recent Friday. She examined the shaded pools where salmon are now able to rest on their journey to spawn upstream.

Clusters of large, dead trees poke from the surface of the river. The trees slow down the water, allowing particles to settle to the riverbed, rather than wash downstream, where they could clog up EWEB’s water filtration equipment. Just over a year ago, this spot on the river didn’t exist. It’s part of a large-scale restoration project EWEB and partners have undertaken to protect the water of the McKenzie River in the wake of the devastating 2020 Holiday Farm Fire.