A homegrown movement to protect the clear waters and wild rivers of Oregon's Kalmiopsis & Wild Rivers Coast

The Kalmiopsis and Oregon’s Wild Rivers Coast

The Kalmiopsis is a rugged, geologically unique range of low elevation mountains located a little inland from the Wild Rivers Coast on the Siskiyou National Forest in southwest Oregon.  While legendary for its rare plants, the Kalmiopsis is best known for its beautiful free flowing creeks and rivers, their gin-clear waters and their priceless native salmon and steelhead runs. This one-of-a-kind wild landscape is home to the National Wild and Scenic Illinois, Chetco and North Fork Smith Rivers—with many more streams proposed for Wild and Scenic designation in the River Democracy Act of 2021. This west coast wild salmon stronghold and climate refuge is only partially protected. Learn more and explore it with us.

June 2, 2021

Watch | Geology of the Kalmiopsis Explained

Watch | Geology of the Kalmiopsis Explained
Geologist Dr. Bob Carson explains the ancient origins of the Klamath Mountain Province from a gravel bar deep in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, along the wildest part of the Oregon's Wild… Read more
June 1, 2021

We’re in the process of updating our website

We’re in the process of updating our website
Apologies, if this site loads slow and articles need updating. Technology has left us in the dust. So we have no choice but go through the time consuming process of… Read more
January 14, 2018

A first in Oregon | The North Fork Smith Outstanding Resource Waters

A first in Oregon | The North Fork Smith Outstanding Resource Waters
It was unanimous and a first for Oregon. On July 17, 2017, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission named the National Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River, its tributaries and… Read more
July 13, 2017

The science behind protecting Oregon’s Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River’s outstanding water quality

The science behind protecting Oregon’s Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River’s outstanding water quality
The waters of Oregon's National Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River and its tributaries are of the highest quality and exceptionally clear. But this is not some… Read more
May 16, 2017

Video – A Southwestern Oregon Mineral Withdrawal thank you—clean water and clean rivers are the future!

Video – A Southwestern Oregon Mineral Withdrawal thank you—clean water and clean rivers are the future!
We made a short video to thank all of you who worked tirelessly on the 20-year Southwestern Oregon Mineral Withdrawal. The withdrawal will help protect 101,000 acres of National Forest… Read more
February 23, 2017

Protect the North Fork Smith River, its tributaries and wetlands as Oregon’s first Outstanding Resource Waters

Protect the North Fork Smith River, its tributaries and wetlands as Oregon’s first Outstanding Resource Waters
Updated 2/27/2017 - The State of Oregon is proposing to designate the National Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River, its tributaries and associated wetlands as Outstanding Resource Waters,… Read more
February 17, 2017

Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act reintroduced

Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act reintroduced
Representatives Peter DeFazio and Jared Huffman got right to it. On January 5th, two days after the 115th Congress convened, they reintroduced the Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act… Read more
January 13, 2017

DeFazio, Huffman, Wyden, Merkley Proud to Help Protect Unique Southwest Oregon Lands from Mining

DeFazio, Huffman, Wyden, Merkley Proud to Help Protect Unique Southwest Oregon Lands from Mining
WASHINGTON—Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today secured a twenty-year ban on new mining projects in an ecologically… Read more
November 18, 2016

Local support for a 20-year Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal overwhelms a third time

Local support for a 20-year Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal overwhelms a third time
Neither the dark of night nor the rains of November deterred opponents of nickel strip mining in the Kalmiopsis and Wild Rivers Coast regions from making their… Read more
August 26, 2016

Support for Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal is overwhelming

Support for Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal is overwhelming
Forty-five thousand individuals, organizations, tribes, agencies, water districts, counties and city councils commented or signed petitions during two formal comment periods and two local hearings for the Southwestern Oregon Mineral… Read more
May 23, 2016

Two companies hold most of the mining claims in Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal Area

Two companies hold most of the minng claims in withdrawal area
Two mining companies and what's called an association hold all but five of the existing federal mining claims in the U.S Forest Service and BLM's proposed 101,000 acre Southwestern Oregon… Read more
May 21, 2016

EPA | Metal mining biggest toxic polluter in U.S. again

EPA | Metal mining biggest toxic polluter in U.S. again
Post revised 5/25/2016.   EPA's latest Toxic Release Inventory report shows that the metal mining industry produced 45% of all toxic pollution in the United States in 2014. You won't hear advocates… Read more
May 16, 2016

Will the North Fork Smith River be Oregon’s first Outstanding Resource Waters?

Will the North Fork Smith River be Oregon’s first Outstanding Resource Waters?
It's a favorite of fisheries biologists and a small cadre of intrepid boaters who like their weather wet and their whitewater wild. The National Wild and Scenic North Fork… Read more
April 29, 2016

From headwaters to coast | Kids, communities say no to nickel mines and yes to clean water

From headwaters to coast | Kids, communities say no to nickel mines and yes to clean water
We look back to September 11, 2015 on the Wild Rivers Coast. It was one of those days that verged on perfect. The evening before, the Gold Beach hearing for… Read more
October 4, 2015

The proposed mining withdrawal | decades in the making

The proposed mining withdrawal | decades in the making
What just happened may have seemed out of the blue to some but the recently proposed mining withdrawal has been decades in the making. It's purpose is to provide interim… Read more