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A bi-monthly round-up of news about the Willamette and Columbia
November 16, 2012
 Swan Island Lagoon from University of Portland. Rivers Office image.
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Events, Trips, and Other River Happenings
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!"
Thanksgiving walk at Oxbow Nov. 18. Take time to celebrate the simple gifts of nature at Oxbow Regional Park with Metro naturalist Dan Daly and Terry Kem from Deerdance School. While walking along the Sandy River, open your senses and notice how wildlife responds to the changing season. Then gather around the campfire circle as naturalists share the "Thanksgiving address" passed down by the Iroquois Nation. Hot drinks provided. Consider bringing a sack lunch for after the program. The walk is suitable for adults and families. Meet at the boat ramp at 10:15 a.m. Free with advance registration. Honoring Our Rivers open house--art exhibit and readings. November 18, 3 -- 4 pm, Painters Hall at Pringle Creek Community, 3911 Village Center Drive SE, Salem OR 97302. Celebrated Oregon authors Charles Goodrich and Barbara Drake will be on hand for short readings and student visual artwork will be exhibited. Honoring Our Rivers email, November 5.
Should Metro ask voters to approve a 5-year parks and natural areas levy? "Metro manages ... more than 16,000 acres of land on behalf of the region ... With the future of these special places in mind, the Metro Council is considering the best way to care for our region's parks and natural areas. Take the online survey by November 19...." Metro It's Our Nature, October 2012
Portland Parks & Recreation Environmental Education Wreath Sale. December 1, 1-4 pm. Director Park. "Portland Parks Environmental Education Program will be selling wreaths that have been created from the greens of pruned park trees ... Last year over 500 students were given scholarships to attend Environmental Education Summer Camp programs from the sales of wreaths..."
 Straight Up - Floodplains with a Twist: A discussion about urban streams and flooding. December 10, 5pm-7pm, Dig a Pony (736 SE Grand Ave., Portland). A Johnson Creek Watershed Council Science Pub. "Since the 1930's, starting with dredging and rock-lining the creek, people have been trying to control the flooding of Johnson Creek. Join us for an evening discussing hydrology, flooding, and what's been done recently to keep water within the floodplain and out of the kitchen." RSVP to amy@jcwc.org or call 503-652-7477.
Take the Love Your River challenge: Only rain in storm drains. "The mysterious pipes hidden beneath those metal grates on your street corner usually connect to a nearby river or creek... That's why storm drains are only for the rain and snowmelt! You can help ensure that our rivers and drinking water sources are clean by keeping pollution out of neighborhood storm drains. Visit LoveYourRiver.org and pledge to do your part....Take this challenge, and you'll be entered in the current prize drawing." OEC's Love Your River
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The year of the river. "With few exceptions, the Willamette Valley cities are returning to their namesake but oft-ignored river as an urban amenity and eco-friendly development tool. ... Despite the challenges, the return to the river fits in with larger downtown revitalization and economic development trends, in which urban amenities such as greenspaces have become critical tools in recruiting and retaining companies and workers." Oregon Business, Nov. 1
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 Slow down on West Hayden Island deal, and get the details right. Oregonian Editorial, November 13
Mayor Sam Adams pushes West Hayden Island environmental proposal. OregonLive.com, November 9
Adams jockeys Hayden solution. Portland Tribune, November 15
Steve Duin: Sam Adams goes for broke on West Hayden Island. OregonLive.com, November 10
Image: City of Portland Rivers Office
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Metro: Brownfields offer a path to new development. "South Waterfront is an example of brownfield redevelopment on a large scale. Hundreds of acres of contaminated and underutilized land in Portland along the Willamette River are being cleaned up and converted into residential towers, medical buildings and educational facilities. A recent Metro report suggests that thousands of other acres of brownfields in the region could boost the economy and provide needed housing if they were cleaned up and redeveloped, too." Portland Tribune, November 8
PDC announces new developer for Centennial Mills. "The Portland Development Commission announced Tuesday that it has initiated negotiations with Harsch Investment Properties for the redevelopment of Centennial Mills." Portland Tribune, November 15
Image: City of Portland Rivers Office
Portland's Harbor Oil Superfund site not contaminated enough to clean up, EPA says. OregonLive.com, November 15
Portland has authority to regulate waterfront, Oregon Supreme Court rules, but River Plan still on hiatus. "The city of Portland picked up a victory Thursday from the Oregon Supreme Court but its long-delayed River Plan still isn't moving forward anytime soon." OregonLive.com, November 8 [Supreme Court decision here.]
Update on North Reach Plan court rulings and the path ahead. City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, November 2012
 Streaked horned lark, Northwest's latest candidate for endangered species list, favors airports, farms and dredge islands. "With its traditional territory mostly destroyed, the Northwest's latest candidate for a federal listing has set up shop in some unlikely places. Willamette Valley grass farms. An artillery range in Washington. Manmade dredge spoil islands in the Columbia River. ...Last month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the lark as threatened under the Endangered Species Act...A listing would complicate dredge dumping in the Columbia, airport management and military training. ...." OregonLive.com, November 8 Image: David Maloney, U.S. Fish and Wildlife-on OregonLive.com
Fish Toxicity Reports and the Columbia Slough Fish Advisory--What can you do to reduce your risk from eating fish? City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, November 13
Sauvie Island hike offers lighthouse, wildlife, beached ship. StatesmanJournal.com, November 15
Dragon Boat Pioneer Now "Shapes" the Sport. Freshwater News, October 2012 (p. 10)
Thunderbird Hotel Fire Shows Importance of Portland's Fireboats. Freshwater News, November 15
Go to top of news.
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Whither Willamette? The urban river in the face of climate change. "It flows through the city; it flows past parks, gravel pits and buildings, but unless it's rising up in a winter flood or we happen to glance down while driving over the I-5 bridge, the Willamette River rarely seems to flow through our minds. Eugene is a river city; the Coast Fork Willamette and the Middle Fork come together to the south and the McKenzie River, the source of Eugene's drinking water, has its confluence with the Willamette to the north. The river goes through the heart of town, carrying our waste, our stormwater and sometimes ourselves - in fishing boats and on inner tubes. It winds its way northward past Corvallis and to Portland where it joins the Columbia and spills out to sea. The river, literally and figuratively, defines us, but the majority of us never think very much about it at all." Eugene Weekly, November 14
 Boat Ramp expands Keizer Rapids Park. Along with the one-lane boat ramp and boarding floats, the $850,000 give-or-take project features an asphalt lot with 37 parking spaces, 22 of those for rigs and trailers, an accessible and vault-toilet restroom along with access to a riverfront trail system that loops in and around the park. "One of the visions was that it would be and could be a destination ramp for canoeists," Lawyer said. "There was discussion about canoe lockers, future canoe lockers and things like that, as part of the Willamette River Trail - it is part of the Willamette River Trail - but making it a destination for canoeists and kayakers and making it a put-in and pull-out spot. "" StatesmanJournal.com, November 14 (Image: Richard Walsh)
Salem Area Trail Alliance working to create 70-mile West Salem path. "The banks of the Willamette River are lush with riparian forest, local vineyards feature world-class wines and the people of Salem, in general, enjoy recreation. All those ingredients need, McNamee believes, is connection." StatesmanJournal.com, November 8
New Salem-area trail is not even on the map yet. "The only place this greenway - located about eight miles north of West Salem along the Willamette River - is mentioned is on the website of the Salem Area Trail Alliance, a local nonprofit." StatesmanJournal.com, Nov. 10
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Fun / Of Note
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Columbia River northern pikeminnow final reward program top angler earns $77,238. "This past season's northern pikeminnow reward catch figures dipped a little compared to 2011, but it still took out enough of the predatory fish that are known to gorge on young salmon and steelhead. A total of 906 anglers participated this season, catching 152,631 northern pikeminnows compared to 930 with 155,000 in 2011. This season the grand total paid out to anglers was $1,087,900..." Seattle Times, November 4
 The Great Lakes legacy: Old contaminants declining; newer ones on the rise. "Legacy contaminants are decreasing more quickly than previously reported in three of the Great Lakes, but have stayed virtually the same in two other lakes, according to new research. "These are very positive results. The lakes are improving and slowly cleaning themselves up," said Thomas Holsen, co-director of Clarkston University's Center for the Environment. Even with the decreases, it will be 20 to 30 years until the decades-old contaminants in Great Lakes fish decline to the point that fish consumption advisories can be eliminated. Banned in the 1970s, PCBs, DDT and other banned compounds dropped about 50 percent in fish in Lakes Michigan, Ontario and Huron from 1999 through 2009, although there were no significant changes in Lakes Superior and Erie fish, according to the new study. In all of the lakes, the older contaminants are being replaced by newer ones, mostly flame retardants, that are building up in fish and wildlife. ... Since bans have eliminated manufacture and use of the compounds, they are now getting into the lakes mostly through what's circulating in the air. Through atmospheric deposition, the chemicals move from the air to the Earth's surface. "The trends in the air are much the same. These old chemicals are decreasing," Hites said. "Especially in the more remote regions like northern Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, it's almost all atmospheric deposition." " Environmental Health News, November 8. Image: EPA
Northwest Stream Study Shows High Temp/Low Flow Period Closer In Time, Stresses Salmonids. "A newly published study by researchers at Oregon State University and two federal agencies concludes that high temperatures coupled with lower flows in many Northwest streams is creating increasingly extreme conditions that could negatively affect fish and other organisms." Columbia Basin Bulletin, November 2
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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.
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