The Jefferson Fish Society is a diverse group of professional fish biologists, academics, resource managers, students, fish enthusiasts, and others interested in streams and riparian ecosystems. We meet to discuss our perspectives, attitudes, and ideas about aquatic-based topics important to southwestern Oregon and northern California – a region known for its separatist proposal in 1941 to secede from California and Oregon to form a new political entity, “The State of Jefferson”. Just as important to members is the networking and socializing. The Jefferson Fish Society provides an informal and fun-filled forum for sharing research results and management dilemmas, and it provides opportunities for in-depth discussion of local issues leading to partnership building, awareness, and camaraderie.

    As an organization, we do not advocate on any of these issues. However, our hope is that by establishing “out of the workplace” relationships among the people working various sides of these frequently difficult issues, the camaraderie fostered and encouraged by the Jefferson Fish Society will take over … partnerships will establish … and the waters (and the plants and animals relying on those waters) that are so important to each of us will be more thoughtfully and actively conserved. The tangle of mountains and dramatic climatic gradient covering the “state” is largely responsible for the diverse and unique watersheds and aquatic critters but is also responsible for the difficulties of traveling around the region. This hardship drives the need for the regularly scheduled and well organized peer networking sessions provided by Jefferson Fish Society meetings. To give each of our 120 current members an opportunity to make at least one meeting each year, we move meeting locations around the region to reach the different communities in each of the corners of the “State of Jefferson". Please review our upcoming meeting and plan to attend if it will be near you.