About Us

Oregon Trout is a statewide non-profit organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon with satellite offices in Bandon, Bend and Corvallis. Oregon Trout works to restore freshwater health through innovation and education.

Founded in 1983 by a group of fly-fishing conservationists, Oregon Trout started the wild fish discussion in the Pacific Northwest, working to protect and restore native fish and their ecosystems. While remaining true to that original mission, we have since evolved from a niche interest group to an organization that seeks holistic and watershed-wide approaches to the root causes of declines in water health. With more than two decades of science-based conservation and education work behind it, Oregon Trout has earned respect as a collaborative, results-oriented group seeking long-term solutions to issues concerning river and stream health.

The Problem
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 30,000 of Oregon’s 115,000 stream miles “fail to support aquatic life.” What can we do about it?

Every Stream . . .

At Oregon Trout we dedicated ourselves to restoring every one of those stream miles. But how long will that take? The current system of restoration operates at a rate of

At Oregon’s current work pace of 250 miles per year, we will finish fixing 30,000 unhealthy stream miles in 2366 A.D. We simply must do better.

Oregon Trout has the Solution.

Through our StreamBank™ program, we will work with agencies, watershed councils and private funders to revolutionize the system for stream restoration, and use web-based technology to accelerate that rate to


At a work pace of 1,000 stream miles per year, we will fix all 30,000 unhealthy stream miles in about 30 years.

Every Student . . .

Oregon Trout recognizes that all of our good work with restoration can be undone in a single generation if our youth do not understand the value of healthy rivers and streams.

Oregon Trout has the Solution.
In 2003, we built upon the foundation and successes of our national recognized Salmon Watch® watershed education program and created a new vehicle capable of reaching every student in every watershed in Oregon. Our Healthy Waters Institute provides inquiry-based opportunities for experiential learning and engages students in restoration projects that foster of a lifetime of freshwater stewardship. The Healthy Waters Institute also provides curricular programs, stewardship restoration and teacher support.

With your help, we will build a generation of watershed stewards.