|
A bi-monthly round-up of news about the Willamette and Columbia
|
|
 Click to jump to the desired News category:
|
Events, Trips, and Other River Happenings
Great Willamette Cleanup. October 6. This is a river-wide paddling and land based cleanup effort hosted by Willamette Riverkeeper. ... many registered sites will have canoes and kayaks available for volunteers to reserve... Volunteers will receive a ... t-shirt ..., and, in most locations, will also enjoy a post-cleanup lunch-celebration.10. For more info, contact staj@welovecleanrivers.org. Can Government Entities Work Together? Problem Solving in the 21st Century. October 9, 7 pm, Multnomah County Building Board Room, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland. The League of Women Voters will examine the expanding role of Government in meeting the needs of citizens, including how this role plays out in the Superfund process as a case-in-point. Panelists: Professor Phillip J. Cooper, Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University; Professor Erin Ryan, Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College; and Rich Muza, Superfund Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 
Willamette Falls Festival. October 12-14. Activities will highlight the area's heritage, arts and culture, as well as its natural wonders and outdoor activities. And, of course, it will feature activities that celebrate the Arch Bridge Reopening. 2012 salmon homecoming at Oxbow Regional Park. October 13, 14, 20 and 21. "Spicy scents of autumn trees, giant golden leaves on maples and the silvery chatter of American dippers in the river. ... Witness the return of wild salmon to one of the Pacific Northwest's premier rivers - the glacier-fed Sandy - just 45 minutes from downtown Portland.
River In Focus Presentation: History Lessons from the River. October 16, Noon to 1 pm, Portland Building Auditorium, 1120 SW Fifth. Chris Prescott, Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, describes how our growing understanding of Willamette change is netting better restoration.
Portland By Cycle Autumn Rides: Stormwater Gardens & Swales, Oh My! November 17, 10 am to 12:30 pm. "A tour of innovative street designs that help protect our watershed - this time with rain!"
|
Announcements
"Moving On" by Rags + Ribbons celebrates ecoroofs. Green roofs are exciting just by themselves, but when you put an energetic rock band on a green roof, you can expect great things. That's exactly what happened when the Portland Oregon-based band Rags and Ribbons teamed up with Perceptions NW, Gunderson LLC's Dave Harvey, and Amy Chomowicz to create a music video featuring a green roof. The video's compelling story incorporates Gunderson's green roof to send a message about the positive impact green roofs have on the environment. The Portland Mercury had this to say "this video should do for ecoroofs what "Thriller" did for dancing zombies." Given that description, it's gotta be good. Check out the video here ... or on YouTube.
 | |
Dave Harvey, Gunderson (L) with Dick Springer, WMSWCD
|
West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District Green Award Winner: Gunderson Marine. "[Gunderson] has been involved in several different projects; one concerning the establishment of 2 ecoroofs, and the other involving habitat restoration on Gunderson property along the west bank of the Willamette River. ... Gunderson Marine has done much more than any other private business over the past year in working with West Multnomah Conservation District priority areas. In addition, employees and the company in general have a strong commitment to habitat restoration and have demonstrated it many times with on-the-ground work to improve the watershed." West Multnomah SWCD news release, September 23
Rain Barrel fundraiser. "There are so many benefits to installing a rain barrel. Willamette Riverkeeper is holding a rain barrel fundraiser to sell recycled, food-grade, plastic 55+ gallon rain barrels for only $115" Order by October 26; pick up on November 3.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind-Just pick it up. An effort by "a team of three kayakers with a mission to promote the intrinsic and ecological importance of the world's oceans, rivers, and waterways. By "being the change we wish to see in the world", we hope to inspire others to do the same." Movie on "Portland to the Ocean Trashpedition" set for completion in November. Check-out the "Never Ending Clean Up Contest."
Honoring Our Rivers now accepting entries for 2013. Honoring Our Rivers is a student anthology that engages the creative capacities of Oregon residents to promote respect for the Watersheds of Oregon. Any student, kindergarten through college, may submit their work
Go to top of news.
|
|
|
From Zidell, a riverfront plan with real promise. "Big chunks of buildable land in and around Portland are hard to come by anymore. But 60-plus contiguous acres along the Willamette River near downtown are quietly taking shape as one of the most intriguing and promising sites for development here or anywhere." Oregonian Editorial Board, September 21
'Big Pour' for TriMet bridge over Willamette River. "The transit agency says about 180 truckloads of cement will be continuously poured in a 36-hour period Monday and Tuesday to form the base of the east tower of the Portland-Milwaukie light rail bridge over the Willamette River." KATU.com, September 24 (image: Trimet)
Portland-area plan: Double exports in five years, create 113,000 jobs."...coordinators have developed a 30-page business plan for the Portland effort to be overseen by a committee of two dozen export leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors. ...The business plan spells out efforts to: enhance the local high-tech industry; improve westside freight movement; reduce so-called "leakage" of export cargo to ports and airports beyond Portland; help "under exporting" companies boost foreign sales." OregonLive.com, October 2
CC2035 Concept Plan Endorsed by Planning and Sustainability Commission. "The Central City 2035 Concept Plan will be presented to the City Council on Oct. 24..." Bureau of Planning & Sustainability news posting, undated. [Ed. note: check-out the Willamette River goal on page 13!]
Waterfront Park among Top Public Spaces. "Downtown Portland's Tom McCall Waterfront Park made the list of 2012's Top 10 Great Public Spaces in the country, picked by the American Planning Association." KGW.com, October 3
(Image: Portland Parks)
A Guide To The Portland Harbor Superfund Site. OPB Ecotrope, September 26
 | | NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco speaking at OMSI salmon sidewalk dedication |
OMSI adds Salmon Walk. "NOAA Fisheries and the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI) recently unveiled the "Salmon at Your Doorstep" sidewalk mural. The mural depicts the life cycle of salmon and is located at the OMSI pavilion on the banks of the Willamette River-a river that is home to several species of salmon and steelhead. The mural's purpose is to educate visitors about the relationship between salmon, local ecosystems, and people. It uses interactive media and works of art to help the public visualize and understand this dynamic relationship." NOAA Summer 2012 media release. (Image: NOAA)
Crystal Springs Creek: salmon in the city. KGW.com, September 20
Crystal Springs River in Focus video (check-out our other river talk videos, too!)
Cannons, lasers used to try to scare birds from disease-impacted Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area. Metro News, September 27
USS Ranger recruitment effort fails; ship to be scrapped, Navy says. "The USS Ranger has been taken off a donation hold and will be scrapped, the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command said today, ending the USS Ranger Foundation's lengthy effort to recruit the ship to Fairview as a tourist attraction that officials said would bring 350,000 visitors and $46 million annually to the town." OregonLive.com, October 4
Go to top of news.
|
|
|
|
Milwaukie looks to gain momentum on Riverfront Park development. OregonLive.com, September 21
(image: portland ground)
Fanno Creek Trail: a true community connector. Metro News, September 7.
Hillsboro eyes the Willamette River as water source of the future. "Hillsboro is outgrowing its water supply, and city Water Department officials are already planning for a time when a combination of Tualatin River, Henry Hagg Lake and Barney Reservoir supplies won't be enough to meet demand. The Willamette River has emerged as a preferred source so far." OregonLive.com, October 5
Corvallis City Council votes to study moving wastewater to Trysting Tree. "Attempts by the city of Corvallis to find a solution for its wastewater issues inched forward Monday night. Councilors voted 8-1 to approve spending $40,000 to $50,000 to study using Trysting Tree Golf Club to cool down heated wastewater - a problem that the state Department of Environmental Quality wants Corvallis to solve by 2016." gazettetimes.com, October 2 Interstate 5 span's Native American name, Whilamut Passage Bridge, praised. "Whilamut (pronounced WHEEL uh moot) means "where the river ripples and runs fast" to the Kalapuyas, who once occupied 13 distinct geographical areas from Oregon City to Yoncalla, and spoke three dialects of the same language." Register-Guard, September 30 (image: ODOT Willamette River Bridge Blogspot) State plans elevated pedestrian/bike path connecting Eugene to Glenwood. "The state has begun building an elevated 1,300-foot-long pedestrian and bicycle path that will run next to Franklin Boulevard under the rebuilt Willamette River Interstate 5 bridge, connecting Eugene to Glenwood The path will be on a raised viaduct built on a steep, narrow strip of land between Franklin and the river." Register-Guard, September 26 |
|
Fun / Of Note
|
Let's swim to work. Waterways surrounding cities were once filled with toxic industrial sludge. Now they're the new recreation frontier. Salon, September 15
Portland Monthly survey-90% say they wouldn't swim in the Willamette downtown. Portland Monthly, September 26
I'd swim in the Willamette River If I was making a postcard for Portland that contained
(near the waterfront) the phrase "Home, Sweet Home," I'd pair it
with an image of:
Should Metro ask voters to approve a 5-year parks and natural areas levy? Metro
-----------
Kitzhaber: We can end the Columbia basin salmon wars now by balancing energy, conservation. OregonLive.com, September 22
Oregon should join the collaboration to save salmon. OregonLive.com, Sept. 29
-----------
Problems plagued old Hayden Island park. "Lotus Isle was, when it opened, Oregon's biggest theme park. It was also, hands down, the most surreal ever. The roof of the bumper cars ride was shaped like a giant hairless bulldog, complete with fangs protruding from a menacing frown, crouched down as if preparing to pounce on a small child. At its entrance was a 100-foot tall neon sign in the shape of the Eiffel Tower in Paris; this massive work of gaudy randomness could be seen from miles away, on both sides of the river." Yamhill Valley News Register, September 19 [Ed. Note: See also the in-depth Lotus Isle story at pdxhistory.com]
One Fish, Two Fish, Dead Fish, New Fish. Slideshow: The Sockeye Salmon's Last Swim. NYTimes.com, October 5
|
To view past River News Digests, click here.
NOTE: River News Digest is a compilation of interesting items and announcements relating to rivers-with a focus on better understanding, enjoying, and caring for our local rivers, while touching on items from around the country and the world. Please note much of the information is from sources other than the City of Portland [like news media, non-profit organizations, and other government agencies]. The Rivers Office lists these items for information purposes only and is not responsible for their content.
|
|
|
|
|
|
