Enter the Water Quality Report Cover Photo Contest

The City of Salem invites all photographers, water users, residents, and nature enthusiasts to participate in our second annual Water Quality Report Cover Photo Contest.

Salem captures its drinking water from the North Santiam River before it flows into the Willamette River, which is then used by other utilities downstream. No matter which way you look at it, water is essential to our daily lives. We drink it, use it to wash our cars and our clothes, and even water our yards with it in the summer. Truly, water means something a little different to each of us, and we would like to hear what Salem's water means to our residents.

Inspiration for your photo could come from one of Salem's beautiful parks, any of the unique bridges over a river or stream, or it could be the natural beauty of a river that sparks creativity. The winning photo will be used as the cover image on the 2026 Water Quality Report, an annual report about our drinking water quality that is printed and made available to all Salem residents.

Theme: Salem on the Water!

Past cover photos have included: bridges and structures over the North Santiam, different views of the North Santiam River, Detroit Lake, collages of cups of drinking water, the Willamette River, and Mt. Jefferson. To see previous water quality reports visit: https://www.cityofsalem.net/water.

Prizes:

• 1^st place- Front Cover of the 2026 Water Quality Report (published in June 2026)
• 2^nd and 3^rd place- featured inside the Water Quality Report.
• Runner-ups will be shared on social media.

Contest Rules:

• Open to everyone!
• Submissions must be an original photograph and align with the theme.
• High-resolution photos (file size 2 mb-7 mb) are required for print quality and must be related to Salem's drinking water.
• Photos must be vertically oriented (portrait).
• AI (artificial intelligence) photos are not valid for entry.
• Submissions must also be accompanied with an entry and release form.
• Photo must be taken in Marion County or Polk County; Salem area is best to fit the theme.
• One photo submission per person.

Judging Criteria:

• Relevance to the theme
• Creativity & composition
• Clarity of photo
• City staff will review submitted photos and select winners based on the above criteria.

How to Enter:

• Deadline: May 8, 2026
• Submit via email to [email protected]
• Include with your photo: your name, photo as an attachment, photo title, approximate photo location, entry form, and a brief description of the image and why you chose it.

Winners will be contacted through the email that was used to submit the photo.

Help us showcase the beauty and importance of clean water in Salem. Submit your photo today!

Look for the winners when the Water Quality Report is published in June 2026!

Terms and Conditions:

By submitting the entry form and photo, the participant assigns the City of Salem the perpetual, royalty-free, and right, and license to use, publish, print, copy, promote, distribute, alter, adapt, modify, edit, reproduce, or otherwise display the image in any way it sees fit without limitation or compensation to entrants for the purposes of public information, public service announcements, and education.

All photos are subject to creative manipulation needed for the formatting of our report or any additional printed or digital materials used. Submitted photos will become the property of the City of Salem which may be used for additional materials without any restrictions.