By Marie Kennedy The Mountain Times
In a welcome win for both nature and neighbors, the Rhododendron Water Association (RWA) has received a $155,460 grant to reimburse the costs of a critical watershed protection project completed in 2021. The award, announced by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) in April, will help the small community water system pay off loans and return focus to other needed improvements.
“This is a huge moment for us,” said Steve Graeper, president of the RWA Board. “This award reimburses the funds we had to spend – fast – to protect our water supply. Now we can shift our energy to other capital improvements that have been on hold.”
The grant supports the Henry Creek Watershed Source Water Protection Project, a community-led effort that sprang into action in 2021 when a large tract of land upstream from Henry Creek – RWA’s only drinking water source – was sold to a logging company.
With clear-cutting planned, the RWA knew time was short. The board quickly negotiated a permanent conservation agreement – called an “Equitable Servitude” – with Chilton LLC, the new landowner. This legal arrangement ensures that a protective buffer of trees will always remain along the creek, shielding it from erosion and sediment runoff during timber harvests.
To make the $175,000 deal happen, the all-volunteer RWA board secured an emergency loan from the state’s drinking water program and tapped into a line of credit, managing the rest through tight budgeting. The new grant will now fully reimburse the association and clear those debts.
The grant was one of 66 awarded by OWEB across Oregon, totaling more than $18.5 million for restoration, water quality, and habitat projects. Funding comes from a mix of state sources, including the Oregon Lottery, which has contributed over $590 million to watershed protection efforts since 1999.
“It’s a great example of how state support and local action can come together to protect something as essential as clean water,” said Graeper.
Though small, Rhododendron is no stranger to big achievements. The RWA has long been recognized for its high water quality and community commitment. Graeper emphasized that this grant is a reflection of the values shared by residents, volunteers, and the many hands behind the scenes who stepped up when it counted.
“This wasn’t a project we expected,” he said. “But when the health of our water was on the line, our community acted fast and came together to do the right thing.”
In another nod to the community’s efforts, RWA was recently honored with the Best Tasting Surface Water award by the Oregon Association of Water Utilities (OAWU) at its 2025 Annual Meeting. The award, presented by OAWU Circuit Rider Sam Waller, was accepted by Graeper on behalf of the association. RWA previously won the award in 2012 and 2014.
OAWU is a nonprofit organization with over 700 members and supports Oregon’s water and wastewater utilities through education, hands-on training, technical services, and legislative advocacy.
RWA heads into summer with a major debt paid off – and Rhododendron’s water quality protected for generations to come.
For more information about the project, contact Steven Graeper at rhododendron.water@gmail.com.