T H E P L A C E W E C R O S S T H E W AT E R
Ways of Seeing: The Place We Cross the Water
“To walk along Whychus Creek is like walking on a rainbow.”
Cassie Huber
AGE 16
his is a story about a watershed. Told
Sisters High School student Cassie Huber
through many voices and with images
expressed, “To walk along Whychus Creek is like
created by many different hands, The Place We
walking on a rainbow.” With journal writing and
Cross the Water tells the story about the health of
students’ sketches penciled streamside, through
the Whychus Creek watershed. Relatively speak-
the brushstrokes of a painting born on a New
ing, the Whychus Creek watershed is healthy.
Year’s Day hike, punctuated by the vibrant
It has been spared from the large scale insults
images of the multi-faceted watershed itself, and
and violations that many watersheds throughout
woven with the stories of the restoration work of
the country have suffered. It does not have streams
many, this booklet reveals what happens when a
that are toxic or polluted beyond repair, it has not been completely deforested, and its creeks have not been cemented over by high rises or subdivisions. However, the watershed is not without its problems.
creek meanders through history as a creek, then PHOTO
N ATA L I E W E I G A N D
a canal, and then a creek again.
We all connect to special places in unique and personal ways, and The Place We Cross the Water invites multiple ways of
The purpose of this booklet is to explore the health of Whychus
learning about Whychus Creek and its watershed. The main
Creek, including the good and the bad, in creative and thoughtful
body of the booklet offers an inspiring overview of this Central
ways. The spirit of this publication dwells within the passionate
Oregon watershed. The accompanying ecological supplement
words and artwork of local community members and students
provides a more focused examination of the watershed indicators
who have connected to the creek in their own ways. We hope that
used to communicate about stream health. It is our hope that,
floating somewhere among the confluence of local inspiration and
whether read together or separately, these two resources create
watershed information, you too will find a personal connection to
inspired and informed ways of knowing The Place We Cross
Whychus Creek.
the Water.
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