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The River Possible

Unlocking the Willamette’s true potential

Travis Williams

January 8 2014
The Portland Harbor cleanup has been the subject of much attention lately, including here at Willamette Riverkeeper, and with good reason. There’s a lot at stake with the Superfund project, and we’ll need to continue to engage to get the best result for this vital stretch of the Willamette.
 
But even as we focus on this complex issue, it’s important to remember other opportunities that can help unlock the tremendous  potential of our river.
 
Here are four conversations I’d like to see launched in 2014:
 
1) Accessing the water’s edge.  Yes, we can stand over the Willamette River, in some areas, but we have too few opportunities to touch it, and get out on it. Good steps have been made to increase access over the past decade by the City of Portland, the Metro Regional Government and others. But we can continue to better to connect people to the river.
 
One idea: more trails to small beaches where one can launch a canoe or kayak, fish, and simply touch the water -- next to the Eastbank Esplanade, the Springwater Corridor, in Portland Harbor and beyond.
 
Another idea, one that’s been around for years: take down a portion of the “seawall” at Tom McCall Waterfront Park and replace it with a series of steps down to the water itself. Such an amenity could enable people to experience the river up-close, and can be combined with natural design elements that benefit wildlife. It is time to begin an action plan to make it happen.
 
2) Restoring habitat in the heart of the city. We can do this today. Even small nodes of floodplain and healthy riverside habitat can provide tangible benefits for fish, birds and mammals. Throughout significant portions of the City, the riverside is rock and concrete, which does little for fish and wildlife. We can soften this hardscape at multiple urban locations, such as portions of the Bowl at Waterfront Park, and immediately improve shallow water habitat for threatened fish like Spring Chinook.
 
3) Creating the Portland River Center.  Imagine a facility on the banks of the Willamette that serves as a focal point for river-related interests. This space could be a gathering point for the public, enabling easy access to the river and space for human-powered craft such as rowing shells, canoes, kayaks, rowboats and more.
 
I envision a River Center that houses organizations that share a vision for a clean and healthy Willamette, from river-related retailers to businesses who simply wish to support the river. The Center could foster watershed education, from classes for all ages linked to Portland Public Schools, to research involving universities and the general public. In my view this potentially public/private partnership could increase our civic engagement in all things Willamette.
 
4) Moving Interstate-5. This is the big one on my list, but well worth a renewed conversation. It is time to begin to plan to move the Interstate 5 freeway away from the river, or to feed the freeway through a tunnel, or to cover a portion of it. Altering or moving the Marquam Bridge could also be part of the solution for an issue seen - and heard - by anyone who spends a few moments in the heart of the City.
 
The benefits would be extensive for the City of Portland. Instead of the current noise and vibration, we could realize an East Riverbank with wildlife habitat, public access and relative calm. Portland wouldn’t be the first to take on this huge logistical issue.
 
Seattle is making a massive improvement to its waterfront by removing the Alaskan Way Viaduct. And Seoul, South Korea removed five kilometers of freeway in the heart of the city, uncovering a small river now accessible to all.
 
While I certainly place the elimination of Portland Harborʼs pollution first and foremost, there are tantalizing opportunities to make progress on these options as well. Letʼs move into 2014 with a vision of the future fueled by optimism, and alive with opportunity.
 
 

Travis Williams is Executive Director and Riverkeeper for Willamette Riverkeeper, a non profit organization that works to protect and restore the Willamette River's water quality and habitat. He has led the organization since 2000, and authored the Willamette River Field Guide (Timber Press, 2009). He holds an M.S. in Environmental Science from Johns Hopkins University. 

Pearl of Clackamas

Wheels are turning in Oregon City

By Blane Meier

October 30 2013

For the past 150 years, Willamette Falls has been hidden from public view by industrial mills. In 2011, the Blue Heron Paper Mill closed its doors -- opening the way for tourists to rediscover the natural beauty and rich heritage of the area. Within 10 years, we think the opening of North America’s second largest waterfall by volume to tourism will prove one of the biggest boons for destination cycling in the Northwest.

While tourists of all kinds (600,000 each year, according to some estimates) will be drawn to the Falls, its history, and the mixed-use retail opportunities planned for this 23-acre site, cycle-tourists will be drawn for additional reasons. Wheels are turning in Oregon City -- from Trolley Trail connections to a bike-centric rail depot.

“The Amtrak station will be a hub that directs people to destinations around the city and county.” -- Adam Beykovsky, manager, First City Cycles in downtown Oregon City

In 2014, Oregon City will open a bicycle-themed bistro at the Amtrak Train Depot just minutes from Willamette Falls. Cycling enthusiasts will be able to load their bikes onto Amtrak trains from as far north as Vancouver, B.C., and as far south as Eugene, and then step out onto the platform at Oregon City.

The bike bistro will feature bicycle sales and rentals along with craft brews and gourmet coffees. Just minutes from hotel accommodations, the depot will be a perfect jumping-off point for mountain biking, single- or multi-day cycling tours to local wineries, farms, parks, and other outdoor wonders. Oregon City is also connected to several regional bikeways such as the Trolley Trail and the I-205 trail, and boasts some of the most bucolic back-country cycling in the Metro area.

From the depot, cyclists will also have access to other outdoor activities such as kayaking and jet boating to the base of Willamette Falls, whitewater rafting down the lower Clackamas, and paddling on stand-up boards in the Clackamette Cove. For those who enjoy hiking, there are numerous trails along Canemah Bluff and the Promenade overlooking historic downtown Oregon City. There are also several parks, historic sites, and museums to visit all within walking distance.

Yes, it’s an exciting time to live in Oregon City -- my home for the past 24 years. Just in the past few years, the Main Street area of this transitioning mill town has undergone a multi-million dollar revitalization. More recently, I’ve been attending hearings and open houses for the Willamette Falls Legacy Project.

It’s this kind of momentum (along with a one-day Cycle Tourism Workshop put on by Travel Oregon in 2011) that inspired me to open First City Cycles. I encourage you to get involved as well -- by visiting the Project’s website, joining the Oregon City Trail Alliance, or by cycling on over to see what’s new in the “Pearl District of Clackamas County."

Blane Meier is the owner of First City Cycles in Oregon City. He is also the founder of the Oregon City Trail Alliance, and is chair of the Oregon City Transportation Advisory Committee. For information, email Blane at blane@fccycles.

 

Right to fish

Voices from Portland Harbor environmental justice communities

By Cassie Cohen

October 16 2013

According to a recent article in The Portland Tribune, something fishy is in the Willamette -- specifically the 11-mile stretch that comprises the Portland Harbor Superfund Site.

These are fish women of childbearing age are advised not to eat, based on findings from feasibility studies and reports. Yet the communities most at risk, as well as the general public, remain largely unaware of the Superfund site’s existence and danger, with many residents continuing to fish in some of the Harbor’s most contaminated areas.

Recent press coverage in the Tribune, Oregonian, Willamette Week, and Indian Country has attempted to raise awareness of both the health risks of the Superfund site and opportunities for public involvement in the cleanup process. But, up until now, the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) for the pollution have been some of the loudest voices.

With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently reviewing a draft feasibility study for the Portland Harbor Superfund site, now is the time to reach those most impacted by the Superfund and its cleanup with the message that their participation in the cleanup planning process is both welcomed and needed.

Both the EPA and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality have environmental justice policies, so public input from communities affected by the contamination in the Portland Harbor superfund site should be able to influence the outcome.

Portland Harbor Community Coalition partners recognize the right to fish, especially for those who rely on the protein source for their subsistence. Through interviews and videos, PHCC has begun to raise the profile of those affected -- communities including North Portlanders, Native Americans, Latinos, Eastern Europeans, African Americans, and people experiencing homelessness. But ensuring that these voices have weight equal to the PRPs will require support from across The Intertwine.

We hope you’ll share some of the stories gathered by river users -- stories like that of Groundwork Portland Green Team member Logan, who wants to have children someday that he can safely bring to the river, and Art, a member of the Portland American Indian Movement, and Jill who would like to bring her kids to the river, but currently does not feel safe.

Click here to see more videos, email us or sign up via our website to support this Coalition effort.

Cassie Cohen is the executive director of Groundwork Portland, and was integral to forming the Portland Harbor Community Coalition.  She grew up in the Portland metro area, and also serves on the board of the Center for Intercultural Organizing. 

 

The forgotten child in the hood

By Chad Brown

September 18 2013

“If getting our kids out into nature is a search for perfection, or is one more chore, then the belief in perfection and the chore defeats the joy. It's a good thing to learn more about nature in order to share this knowledge with children; it's even better if the adult and child learn about nature together. And it's a lot more fun.” ― Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

Richard Louv’s bestselling book Last Child in the Woods describes the growing divide between today’s children and the outdoors. But what Louv calls “nature-deficit disorder” is an issue that has plagued the less fortunate for far longer. As a veteran and fly-fisherman, when I look back on how the outdoors has positively influenced my life, it is impossible not to try to share this gift with those I feel would benefit from it the most: inner-city children of color.

Louv writes that the solution to nature-deficit disorder lies in introducing youth to the outdoors through a family member or older mentor, who then shares in these experiences. But the assumptions here, presented from the perspective of a privileged Caucasian American adult male, are that an older generation is available to a child, and that their experience of the outdoors has been positive.

Older African American generations have passed down intense accounts of slaves on the run, and terrifying stories of lynching, adding a dimension of dread and fear to the solitude of the woods, rather than wonder, excitement, and exploration. And for inner-city children, the privilege of experiencing nature is further impeded by inaccessibility, surviving the hustle of the streets, and parents working harder than ever with multiple shifts for dwindling paychecks. When time and cost become impediments, the outdoors unfortunately becomes a luxury.

So how can we reach the Last Child in the Hood? And can the outdoors help them overcome their situation, whether it be a broken home, drug abuse among their peers, financial insecurity, and the accompanying allure of crime as a way out?

 

Through a pilot expedition on the Deschutes River, I recently had the honor and opportunity of aligning a program of mine, called New Currents, Outdoors, with the Sierra Club. Our unique mentoring program intentionally connects two worlds: veterans and inner-city youth. Youth benefit from spending time with role models who are clearly taking time to teach them and reach out, while veterans benefit from the healing of the outdoors and the fulfilling work of a mentor.  

 

With the expedition motto “Iron Sharpening Iron,” our group of 15, including eight Portland-based youth and veterans, spent four days on the river teaching each other about themselves and the natural environment. The expedition was both powerful and fun. Although young, the youth involved have had life experiences and struggles that many adults have not faced. And while many were a bit timid at first and didn’t open up right away, Mother Nature worked to tear down the barriers, allowing us to share our lives and connect. “Iron Sharpening Iron” was an incredible experience for everyone involved, with the friendships started on the river following us back to the city.

I believe the magical, life-altering experiences offered by the outdoors can be a game-changer for inner-city children of color. Through the New Currents, Outdoors program, my goal is not just to establish a series adventurous expeditions that offer escape from the pressures of the city. I hope to make a lasting difference in the life of youth by connecting them with talented mentors and volunteers – an older generation who can teach life skills and inspire as role models for years to come.

 

 

Chad Brown is the CEO/Creative Director of Soul River Runs Deep, LLC and founder and executive director of Soul River, Inc. Chad, a United States Navy veteran with firsthand experience of the therapeutic healing powers of fly fishing to cope with PTSD, has over 16 years of experience in creative advertising & design.

Don't sign that petition!

By Mike Houck

August 21 2013

Twenty-five years ago, Jack Churchill, public administration prof at PSU, called to offer some advice. It wasn’t plastics, like Dustin Hoffman's mentor in The Graduate. No, it was CLEAN WATER ACT!  Park and wildlife biologists, he yelled, had neither the power nor funding to clean up the Willamette River and bring nature back into the city. I had just taken the position of Urban Naturalist at the Audubon Society of Portland and both of these were my primary goals.  “Thanks for sharing,” I said and hung up, wondering what the Clean Water Act had to do with my mission.


It took me a few years to get it. Sewer and stormwater agencies had immense potential to protect the region’s streams, rivers and watersheds.  They had a federal mandate -- the Clean Water Act. Despite the fact that in the early 1980s they focused virtually exclusively on piped, engineered gray infrastructure solutions to water quality problems I realized the potential they held for moving the dial on urban greenspaces by integrating their mandates and mission with those of park providers and fish and wildlife agencies.


Three decades on, and Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) is one of the most progressive, innovative stormwater agencies in the country. Thanks in part to the federal Clean Water Act, and to progressive leadership in the city, BES has broadened its mission. To be honest it took a lot of nudging and cajoling from local nonprofits like mine. But they have embraced green infrastructure and creative approaches to stormwater management.


So what?, you might say. You should care a lot about BES’s green approaches to stormwater management. Your sewer rates will decrease. For example, the Tabor to the River project will cost $63 million less by combining gray and green infrastructure. Care about fish and wildlife?  BES is restoring salmon and wildlife habitat, not in some distant river but right where you live. They are buying and protecting headwaters and replacing invasive species with native plants. These lighter, greener, smarter, cheaper approaches will result in healthier waterways and watersheds. Our streams will run with cleaner water at less cost to you.


Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished. Some of our worst polluters and opponents of the city’s environmental programs have launched an initiative that would gut these programs and wrest control of BES from the city. Who would control their special “water utility"? The very same people who have polluted our waterways. BES is where we need it now: an important part of Portland’s collective efforts to protect nature in the city. The agency is accountable to us, not an obscure board, outside city control.  Don’t Sign That Petition! It’s bad for the environment.  It’s bad for public involvement.  It’s bad for our water.


For more information, and to get involved in opposing this ill-conceived Water and Sewer District initiative, contact me or Bob Sallinger, Conservation Director, Audubon Society of Portland.


 


 


 


 

Mike Houck directs the Urban Greenspaces Institute and is a founding partner of The Intertwine Alliance.  He’s worked on parks, trails, and natural area issues for 43 years.  Mike co-edited Wild in the City: Exploring The Intertwine.

How I learned to stop worrying and love the Willamette

By Will Levenson

July 10 2013

My bar for summer livability was set high when I moved to Boise, Idaho, after graduating from college. The Boise River, which flows through the middle of town, is the lifeblood of the city. Locals not only kayak, inner-tube and fish the river, they also swim in it. And the City of Boise, recognizing the energy and value that this beloved river provides its citizenry, has made major efforts to cultivate its greatness, even opening a whitewater park north of downtown earlier this spring.

After three years in the City of Trees, I moved to Portland for a job. In 1998, Portland was gaining national attention for its “green,” fresh-thinking culture. Yet almost upon arrival, I was put on notice that “nobody swims in the Willamette…it is a toilet...a superfund site.”  

My reaction was outrage, then disappointment. It made no sense that a city billed as the “greenest city in the U.S.” had a polluted river running through the center of town. And I found it baffling that people simply made jokes, doing little to change it.  I realized that naively, I had both overestimated Portland and underestimated Boise. Even today, after fifteen years in Portland, I think of Boise as the Paris of metropolitan river park systems. I am, however, heartened by a swell of activism that promises to transform our own urban river culture.

In November 2011, the City of Portland completed a $1.44 billion, 20-year project, 100% funded by ratepayers, called The Big Pipe. Many in Portland have heard about The Big Pipe, and many of these people know that it’s now complete.  However, too few understand how successful this engineering marvel has been, and what this success could mean for all of us.

Very simply, The Big Pipe was created to control sewage overflows into the Willamette River.  Before The Big Pipe project was complete it would only take 1/10 of an inch of rain to cause raw sewage to overflow into the Willamette River.  Historically, this disgusting occurrence would occur 100 times -- or more -- every year, so after completion in 2011, it didn’t take very long for The Big Pipe to be tested. And yet last March, the wettest in recorded city history, we experienced not one sewage overflow the entire month.  Passing this test, it’s likely that Portland may not ever again experience a summertime sewage overflow in the Willamette River.

The significance of this? That it’s safe to swim in the Willamette River! Whether a Portland native, or a transplant, like me, you may find this hard to believe.  Therefore, I encourage you to do some simple research and develop your own opinion.  Don’t just accept carte blanche the words of someone who told you our river was polluted when you moved here.  Or, for Portland natives, I challenge you to consider the notion that we the people can change a river.  We can reclaim it, restore it, and develop it wisely for recreational use.  The Willamette is not the same river it was 20 years ago.

In Portland, enjoying our short but sublime summer is something we embrace with an artist’s intensity. But for too long, those summers have been missing one elemental ingredient.  Something right under our toes can transform our city forever, make Portland the world class city we all want it to be, and exponentially increase our quality of life.  That’s right, the Willamette River.  So, grab some friends and go take a dip. We paid a lot of money to clean up the Willamette, and now it’s time to collect our river dividend.

 

 

 

 Will Levenson is co-owner of Popina Swimwear and Ringleader of The Human Access Project.

 

 

Within ten miles

An extreme kayaker floats through the City of Roses

By Sam Drevo

June 19 2013

An hour's drive from Portland are whitewater rivers like the  Little White Salmon and Canyon Creek. They’re what initially drew me to the City of Roses, or Bridge City. But what’s kept me here for fifteen years is the immense river resource closer to home -- the Willamette River.

Among international whitewater kayakers, Portland is known as a paddling mecca. Just ten miles upstream of downtown, I’m navigating the base of the second largest waterfall in America, Willamette Falls. One mile below, at the river’s confluence with the emerald green Clackamas, I pause to catch sight of a prehistoric sturgeon as it jumps clear out of the water.

The Willamette changes character as it flows north through Portland--from swift current and thundering waterfall to a lazy river. At Ross Island, I’m eye-level with the gravel pits that built the city’s foundation. Floating past Sauvie Island, I watch magnificent water fowl and the largest bald eagles I’ve ever seen. At the confluence of the Columbia, I course calmly through Multnomah Channel, or choose the more exposed open water at Kelley Point.

Though I've experienced many of Oregon's pristine watersheds, it's this diversity of on-water experience so close to Portland that keeps bringing me back to the Willamette River. Now, Paddlers on the Willmette in support of 350.orgwith the big pipe project complete and the Willamette’s health improving annually, I invite you to join me in exploring and protecting this wonderful resource.

It all starts with a stroll to your local riverside park. Consider a group activity like dragon boating, kayaking at the Portland Boathouse, or the many events that celebrate the river--such as The Big Float, Paddle Oregon, or our Willamette Falls Kayak Tour. 

I'll see you on the water.

Beauty and the base of Willamette Falls:

Sam Drevo first competed in whitewater kayaking at age 15, as a Team USA member at the Jr. World Championships in Norway.  Closer to home, Sam won the 2001 Ford Gorge Games Outdoor World Championship in Extreme Kayaking.  When not traveling the world, Sam teaches paddlers of all levels as owner of eNRG Kayaking in Oregon City.  Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Lewis & Clark College.  Web | Mail

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