New Signs Identify Indigenous Creek Names in Rock Creek Watershed
June 6, 2025 - The City of Corvallis Public Works Department installed permanent signs in the Rock Creek Watershed last month, identifying four creeks by their native Kalapuya names, following a recent renaming effort involving Tribal Governments with cultural ties to Marys Peak.
The creeks were previously unnamed tributaries that make up the Rock Creek Watershed. The City of Corvallis produces about one-third of the community’s drinking water from a water treatment plant located on the watershed, about 15 miles outside of Corvallis in the lower slopes of Marys Peak.
The renaming process began in 2017 and involved the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, as well as local government agencies and land management partners. The Marys Peak Alliance facilitated several stakeholder meetings to gather input and develop names for these remote waterways, many of which are located deep in undeveloped forest land. Much of the work to convene and lead these meetings was led by David Eckert, a Corvallis community member and longtime advocate for the Marys Peak area. Eckert worked tirelessly over a period of years to connect partners and build public awareness of the creek renaming project.
A total of 10 creeks were selected for renaming. Four of these waterways are located on City-owned land in the Rock Creek Watershed, in an area that are the ancestral homelands of the Ampinefu or Marys River Kalapuya.
Signs installed in May of 2025 by the Corvallis Public Works Department identifies the creeks by their Kalapuya names. They are:
- Ahngeengeen (The Flint)
- Ahnhoots (The Panther)
- Ahntkwahkwah (The Frog)
- Ahshahyum (The Grizzly)
These signs are the first of several planned sign installations coming soon from other land partners in the area.
”These names will help hold place for the Kalapuya on the slopes of this sacred mountain in a way that can be shared with the public,” said David Harrelson, The Grand Ronde Tribal Historic Preservation Officer.
“We’re excited to help support the cultural identity of this important location in western Oregon by installing these signs,” said David Gilbey, the City’s Environmental and Regulatory Affairs Supervisor. “Land management partners engage in a variety of scientific and conservation work on the Rock Creek Watershed, and these signs will help create connections between that work and the presence of the Kalapuya people in the area.”
The portion of the Rock Creek Watershed owned by the City of Corvallis is known as the Corvallis Forest. It is a protected area that is carefully managed to ensure water quality and to promote ecological diversity.
