Saturday, July 18th, is River Appreciation day in Oregon. It
began in Roseburg in 1987 by local community members concerned about
the condition and the future of the Umpqua River. There will not be a group celebration
this year due to the Corona Virus. In the past, annual
celebrations have featured music, dancing, and good food somewhere
along a part of the local river. Please use the day and your
concern to pick up trash while enjoying the beauty and pleasures of
the water.
In 1987 Roseburg built a new $12 million dollar sewage treatment
plant. There were not enough funds left to incorporate a backup
generator. Sure, enough several power outages soon occurred and sewage
was spilled into the river. Concerned citizens protested these events
and the chastened city managed to find a surplus government generator.
The spills were over.
The activists decided to celebrate the river's values in a
positive way and held a music and entertainment festival at River
Forks Park. It is repeated each year around the county and will be
back after the pandemic is over. We are all most fortunate to have
such excellent rivers around us. Use this weekend to visit, enjoy, take
care of and celebrate this gift to all of us.
Umpqua Watersheds will be posting on our website, umpquawatershed.org and on our
Facebook page videos of local musicians singing to celebrate the river and pictures of
people celebrating River Appreciation Day.
Robert Allen for the River Appreciation Day Committee.
541-580-5269 < ballen316@gmail.com >
