Researchers, activists keep an eye on McKenzie River after wildfire

Researchers are keeping an eye on the health of the McKenzie River, which flows through the middle of it all.

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Nothing can compare to the human impact of the fires across our state -- but many are also keeping an eye on the health of the forests and rivers.

The mckenzie river was at the heart of the holiday farm fire... as kezi 9 news reporter chris lueneburg shows us-- its beautiful waters will face challenges -- but there's hope they will come out clear on the other side.

The banks of the river are now marred by patches of destruction... <duck nats but also life.

"the mckenzie river defines the community in many ways."

Keeping these waters clean has been the mission of nonprofit mckenzie river trust for more than 30 years.

Water nats the lands they protect provide critical habitat-- and feed into the watershed... along highway 126... none were untouched by fire.

"we have a lot to learn about what has happened.

It's still unfolding before us."

Among the natural wonders at risk.... the beloved-- but threatened chinook salmon... "we knew that right around the time of the fires is typically when wild spring chinook salmon are returning to the side channels and lower areas of the mckenzie river and spawning, so we were wondering, 'what's going on?'" o-s-u watershed scientist kevin bladen has visited the holiday farm fire burn area to answer those questions.

"can we identify areas that are going to represent a threat in terms of future erosion, debris flows?"

He says that normally, forests allow rainfall and water to be absorbed by the soil... in severely burned areas and especially on steep slopes-- water flows on top of the soil-- and possibly right into the river.

"chris: along with that rainfail can come things like, soil, lead arsenic and mercury... which can do things like impact the optical clarity of the water or promote algea growth.

But for now it seems the water is running clear."

But wildfire is a part of nature-- the creation of a complex environment in the water can encourage healthy ecosystems. "if you start to study the whole system, you start to realize there's always some winners and some losers.

Some things change in a positive way and other aspects that are quite negative and persist for multiple decades."

The fall and winter rains could change everything... but mckenzie river trust executive director joe moll was able to check in on the waters for the first time just last week.

"right along the side of the river didn't seem to burn so bad."

Anticipation ran high on the way up 126... but when they got to the riverside... "there beneath the surface were chinook salmon spawning right there as they've always done."

A sign of hope and recovery.

Nats the next generation of chinook spawned here will begin their long journey to the ocean next year.... and it will be five or six more until they return.

"try to imagine, what will the encounter?"

What will the river look like in six years?

"what will the community look like in six years?"

Only time will tell... but moll hopes the river they come back to is a healthier one.

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