Free updated guidebook with new information on floating home maintenance, water quality, and plants and wildlife

West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District and Scappoose Bay Watershed Council are pleased to announce the publication of the newly updated Living on the Water: A Guide for Floating Home Owners and Marina Managers.

The 46‐page guide includes information on floating home safety, construction, repair and maintenance, particularly as these activities may affect water quality. It also includes information on enhancing aquatic habitat, living with and enjoying wildlife, and managing invasive species.
Highlights of the guide include:

• Fire prevention to protect homes and moorages, and emergency response tips

• General facility management practices to reduce environmental impacts

• How to keep belongings from blowing away

• The benefits of native vegetation, including less work

• Invasive species to look out for

• Local wildlife – what to expect and how to better enjoy wildlife

• Where moorage managers and homeowners can go for more information – including 6 pages of online resources

“Floating homeowners have a unique opportunity to create a positive impact on our watershed health because they are so intimately connected to the water and surrounding landscape. This guide is a starting point for creating a healthy aquatic environment to benefit both people and wildlife, “says Dana Pricher, Coordinator of Scappoose Bay Watershed Council.

“As a floating homeowner, I wanted to provide details of ‘life on the water’ for both my neighbors and land‐based homeowners who may be thinking of moving to a floating home. There are so many reasons to enjoy this form of living, but caring for our surroundings by knowing more about them and our potential impacts, makes it all the more special,” says Pat Welle, former Coordinator of Scappoose Bay Watershed Council, co‐author and primary photographer for the guide.

“This publication was created to help moorage owners and floating home residents better maintain their homes and facilities, access useful resources, and learn about nature where they live and how to protect it for the long‐term,” says Kammy Kern‐Korot, Senior Conservationist with West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District and co‐author of the guide.

This is the second version of this guide, published in 2020. The first version was published in 2016. Free printed copies are available on request by emailing info@wmswcd.org. Digital copies can be downloaded at https://wmswcd.org/projects/living‐on‐the‐water/.

The guide was produced collaboratively by several local organizations, marina managers, owners, and residents, with funding provided by West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District. It was developed in response to interest expressed by members of the floating home community.

West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District’s mission is to conserve and protect soil and water resources for people, wildlife, and the environment. They help residents of Multnomah County (west of the Willamette River) and Sauvie Island with conservation planning, invasive weeds, native plants, livestock management, grant funding, wildlife, healthy woods, habitat restoration, school gardens and many other projects.

Scappoose Bay Watershed Council’s mission is to promote and support a healthy watershed through projects that protect and restore native fish, wildlife, and plants, and by working with the community to educate and encourage participation in enhancing and enjoying their natural surroundings. The Council was formed in 1997 as a 501(c)(3), nonprofit, non‐regulatory organization whose diverse group of dedicated staff and volunteers share a common concern for quality of life, natural resources, and their community.