A WILD idea. This time-lapse video covers Depave's restoration of a 5 acre parking lot in Baltimore Woods [overlooking the Willamette in St. Johns]. "We began by carving the letters W-I-L-D in the asphalt. Various things happened on the way to the areas eventual return to a natural woodland. With a camera filming from above over the course of a few months, watch what happened!" by Daniel Dancer, Jan. 2  (Image: Depave)

Underwater Frogs and New Johnson Creek Restoration Report. "Environmental Services recently completed this report, which documents the results of effectiveness monitoring for restoration projects constructed in the Johnson Creek watershed between 1997 and 2010. ... The six projects in this report comprise over 122 acre feet of added flood storage in this part of southeast Portland, and almost 100,000 trees and shrubs planted.... these projects are providing habitat for native wildlife in the city...like this Red-legged frog that staff recently captured with an underwater camera at the Schweitzer Natural Area."  City Green Blog, January 10   (Image: BES) 

Turning Christmas Trees Into Salmon Habitat. "Why are a bunch of sport fishermen collecting used Christmas trees this year? They're planning to give them to coho salmon by placing them in coastal streams, where the trees provide protection from predators and a food source. ... The Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited group will be collecting Christmas trees again this year from 9 am to 4 pm on Jan. 5, 12 and 19 at two Portland area locations: The Royal Treatment Fly Fishing, 21570 Willamette Dr. in West Linn, and Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters, 10910 NE Halsey St. in Portland." OPB Ecotrope, December 27

Still looking at Blue Heron. "Our No. 5 story from 2011 comes in at the tail end of the list for 2012, as Metro continues to review whether to support a purchase of the area just south of Willamette Falls as a potential natural area." From Metro's 2012 Stories of the Year  (Image: Metro)

Trail for Bikes and Feet. "A trail connecting travelers from Swan Island to North Willamette Boulevard is expected to be complete by the end of the month. After six years of outreach and planning, work on Waud Bluff Trail began in 2011 and reached a major milestone in December with the completion of a bridge crossing over the Union Pacific railroad tracks." The Portland Observer, January 2

PDX Welcomes Industry & Art to its Collection of Rotating Exhibits. "We are pleased to introduce works from a juried collection of artists at Industry & Art celebrating the people and industries of the working waterfront. Now on rotation through April 2013 along Concourse B at Portland International Airport, you can enjoy paintings of ships and cranes, crew member's working on vessels, and a variety of other images that portray industrial life on the Portland Harbor." Port of Portland News Release, October 12

Barging in. "What goes bump in the night? An abandoned yacht club moored to a Metro boat ramp. ... With the barge a derelict vessel, the public, essentially, was responsible for its removal. The barge cost about $80,000 to clean up, with some of that money recovered from the state's derelict vessel clean-up fund." From Metro's 2012 Stories of the Year 

(Image: Metro)

Portland CSO 1-Year Compliance Report Submitted to DEQ. "The City's CSO control agreement with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality required filing a report 12 months after CSO construction ended to show that the CSO control system works [which includes the "Big Pipe"]. Environmental Services submitted a final CSO compliance report to the DEQ last month.The final ASFO milestone for controlling outfalls was completed as of December 1, 2011. This final report clearly demonstrates that all of Portland's CSO outfalls have been controlled and the 20-year CSO Program has successfully eliminated CSO discharges in accordance with the ASFO." City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, January 2013

Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group looking for more resident feedback on Superfund cleanup. "The 13-person advisory board includes residents of St. Johns, Linnton and Sauvie Island. But the group says it will need more resident feedback as the EPA decides this year how to clean up the Willamette River." OregonLive.com, January 9

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County calls strategy for bridge move the safer, cheaper option. "The unique strategy that will be used to move the 1,100-foot-long truss of the Sellwood Bridge later this month could save Multnomah County up to $10 million, according to officials." DJCOregon.com, January 10  [subscription req'd for full article]

County gears up for "tricky" Sellwood Bridge move. "Next month, the 1,100-foot truss of the Sellwood Bridge will be moved from its current piers to a group of temporary piers slightly down river. The relocated span will become a detour bridge while a new bridge is being built." DJCOregon.com, December 31, 2012 [subscription req'd for full article]

Sellwood Bridge to close for one week. KGW.com, January 9

Sellwood Bridge Cam. Watch Sellwood Bridge construction-real time and time lapse. 

Image: Rivers Office

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Portland grain elevator to undergo renovation. "One of Portland's oldest structures along the Willamette River soon will undergo a $21 million renovation - though it may not be noticeable to many people. Most of the renovation of the Louis Dreyfus grain elevator, built near the Rose Quarter at the turn of the 20th century, will take place in its interior." DJCOregon.com, January 8 [subscription req'd for full article]        

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