From Data to Action: How Science Shapes Restoration in the Luckiamute

Thank you to everyone who attended our Sips 'n' Science pub talk with Jonah Nicholas at West Valley Taphouse on April 9, 2025. Below is the full recorded presentation, ready for viewing and sharing.

Synopsis: In this presentation, you'll get an inside look at how the Luckiamute Watershed Council’s and Marys River Watershed Council's Monitoring Program guides watershed restoration in the mid-Willamette Valley. As Monitoring Coordinator for both Councils, Jonah Nicholas shares insights from a decade of stream temperature data, revealing trends in watershed health and how this information shapes restoration decisions. Learn why long-term monitoring matters, how we're expanding the program, and what exciting new tools—like eDNA—mean for the future.

About the Speaker:

Jonah Nicholas joined the Luckiamute Watershed Council as Monitoring Coordinator in April 2023, and has since been hired as the Monitoring Coordinator for the Marys River Watershed Council as well. Jonah is originally from the Mid-Willamette Valley and grew up in the forests of the Oregon Coast Range and Cascades. He loves exploring the local environment through hiking, backpacking, running, and canoeing. Jonah followed his love of the outdoors and studied at Oregon State University where he received a bachelor's degree in Forest Engineering and after learning to love the local water systems of Oregon, he received a master’s degree in Sustainable Forest Management with a focus on forest watershed hydrology. Jonah has previously worked to research the effects of timber harvests and riparian management on streamflow in headwater streams. He has also spent time working in forest road engineering, forest surveying, and recreation management.