"On a clear day, you can see the Nisqually River watershed from its source to the Sound � from the glittering glaciers of Mount Rainier National Park, where the Nisqually River wells up, to the salty mudflats of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, where it enters the sea.

The river runs nearly 80 miles; the watershed drains nearly 700 square miles of land. The water passes by the city of Yelm, the "Pride of the Prairie," flows along the lands of the Nisqually Tribe, and runs through the Army's Fort Lewis.

What is even more eye-opening is this: a watershed-wide web of conservation. Divergent demands in watersheds are often a source of conflict � look no further than Klamath Basin. Yet here, because of the Nisqually River Council, they have been a source for cooperation."

Get the Story:
Gale Norton: Model for the future of conservation flows from the Nisqually River (The Seattle Times 8/30)

Relevant Links:
White House Council on Environmental Quality - http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq
Cooperative Conservation, DOI - http://www.doi.gov/initiatives/conservation.html