EPHS Envirothon Team Proposes Student-Led Plan to Improve Little Butte Creek: Seeks Community Partnership

The Eagle Point High School Varsity Envirothon Team is taking on a challenge that flows directly through the heart of our community: improving water quality in Little Butte Creek. 

For this year’s regional and state Envirothon competition, the EPHS student team is proposing a science-based, theoretical solution to address non-point source pollution in the Little Butte Creek watershed. Non-point source pollution occurs when contaminants such as animal waste, fertilizers, and runoff enter waterways without a single identifiable source.

Little Butte Creek is currently ranked among the most impaired in the region compared to many creeks that flow into the Rogue River. The watershed stretches approximately 17 miles with a drainage basin of about 354 square miles in Jackson County. It provides irrigation water to roughly 150,000 people and includes a mix of federal and private lands, much of it used for agriculture, according to the research gathered by the Envirothon team. 

“Our goal is to make Eagle Point healthier by making the creek healthier,” said Payton Bugg, a senior on the Varsity team. “Water is a way of life here. When you stand by the creek, you see hundreds of homes and pastures along it. The healthier the creek is, the healthier the community is. Even if this project is theoretical, we can gather the information, show why it would work, and pass it on so something positive can happen.”

“I’ve seen what clean watersheds can look like. It doesn’t have to stay this way. Little Butte is small enough that meaningful improvement is possible. It takes effort, but the initial steps aren’t overly complex,” said Kiah Freshner. 

The students are proposing a solution that includes:

• Installing riparian buffers with native trees and shrubs to filter runoff
• Stabilizing streambanks to reduce erosion and sediment
• Cooling water temperatures through added shade
• Reducing nutrient and bacterial runoff before it reaches the creek
• Improving habitat for fish and other wildlife

Research shows that healthy riparian zones can significantly reduce nutrient loading, lower water temperatures, increase dissolved oxygen levels, and support biodiversity.

While their proposal is part of a competition, the students are actively seeking real-world insight and access to local properties along the creek. They are asking Eagle Point landowners for:

• Interviews about land and water management practices
• Permission to survey and characterize stream areas
• Access to existing water quality or watershed data

Because much of the watershed is privately owned and tied to agricultural water rights, the team recognizes that voluntary partnerships are essential to long-term improvement.

“We’re not trying to point fingers,” Bugg said. “We’re trying to build something that brings people together. This is about community.”

The EPHS Envirothon Team will present its findings at the competition in April. Community members interested in supporting the project or partnering with the team are encouraged to reach out by March 17, 2026.

For more information or to connect with the students, please contact Kiah Freshner or Payton Bugg at epsdcommunications@gmail.com.

Through research, collaboration, and student leadership, the Envirothon team is demonstrating how local science and local voices can work together toward a healthier watershed and a healthier community.