River in Focus Brownbag-Safe Passage: New Efforts to Get Salmon Past Willamette Basin Dams. April 16, noon - 1 pm, Portland Building Auditorium, 1120 SW Fifth. Join Greg Taylor, fisheries biologist with the Corps of Engineers, as he describes recent, innovative efforts to significantly improve fish passage not only for returning adult salmon, but for their ocean-bound offspring, as well. Free and open to the public. [Image: US Army Corps of Engineers]

 

Stunning poster reveals historical channels of the Willamette River. "Portland, Oregon: The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) has released a full-color poster showing historical channels of the Willamette River as delineated by lidar data. Lidar, a laser-mapping technology, allows for amazingly detailed and accurate mapping of the earth's surface." DOGAMI media release, April 3 

 

Take your Binoculars: It's Prime Time for Birds at Smith and Bybee Lakes. "Did you know the largest urban wetland in the US is in Portland? Located in North Portland's Rivergate area adjacent to the Columbia Slough, the nearly 2,000 acre Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area is designated a state "Important Bird Area" by the National Audubon Society. ... This Saturday, April 13, two events are happening: Morning: Wetlands bird walk with Metro; Afternoon: Painted turtle walk with Metro. And on Saturday, May 11 there's a wetlands wildlife exploration kayak tour (you don't even need a kayak!)" CityGreen Blog, April 9

 

 Baltimore Woods Stewardship Day with SOLVE! April 20, Saturday, 9am -- 1pm. Enter at N. St. Johns & N. Edison. Kick-off Earth week by helping mulch new plants and search & destroy invasives. Training available to learn the difference. Fun all around. Stay as long as you like & discover our cool new meadow. Refreshments available. Register here! 

City of Portland Streamlining Team receives State Land Board Award-Partners commended for faster, better permitting. "This group of state and federal agencies works cooperatively to streamline processes for water-related permitting within the city. The team, who observed their 10th year in February 2013, is composed of the Department of State Lands, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife from the state; and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the federal side. ... the Streamlining Team demonstrates how a cooperative, multi-agency approach to environmental permitting can greatly benefit applicants and the regulatory agencies. " Oregon Department of State Lands, media release [Image: DSL] 

Portland Ecoroof Symposium, May 2. "Portland is a leader in green roofs, and we've learned a great deal about their benefits for managing stormwater and greening our city. ... join the City of Portland for a series of presentations and case studies that detail current research examining the green roof bottom line."

Eastside Greenway Trail closure. May 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. "Contractors will be working on the Eastside Greenway Trail and the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail transit bridge in the closure area. Pedestrians and cyclists will be detoured to SE Water Avenue."

 World Environment Day now on Facebook! Share your ideas about how Portland, the official North American host city of the UN's World Environment Day, can celebrate all things green-and find out about the great line-up of events and activities.

Paddle Oregon 2013-registration now open. August 12-16. Willamette Riverkeeper.

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Settlement moves Portland Harbor's River Mile 11 closer to cleanup. "After more than a year of legal wrangling, the city of Portland and five current and former property owners have agreed to move forward on one of Portland Harbor's most contaminated sites. The $1.5 million in " preliminary design" work agreed to at River Mile 11 is a baby step. But it marks progress for a cleanup project that has seen relatively little action since the harbor was placed on the government's Superfund list in 2000." OregonLive.com, April 8

Image: EPA

A small but big step forward on harbor cleanup should win Portland's backing. "The search for who might pay big bucks later on surely will continue. But Portland needs a cleanup plan now. Sometimes, little steps have big results. Work at River Mile 11 is such a step." Oregonian Editorial, April 9

The Gritty-Nitty On Portland Harbor's PCB Problem. "Why was the Portland Harbor designated as a Superfund site in 2000? If you said untreated poo or some other equivalent yuck, you're wrong. Said dubious distinction was bestowed in large part because of persistent and elevated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl ethers (PCBs) in the resident fish." Oregon Health Authority, CD Summary, March 12, 2013, Vol. 62, No. 6

Nike expansion: Portland ponders $80 million incentive package, county tax abatements, to lure Nike to South Waterfront. "In Portland, Nike has set its sights on former barge-building property owned by the Zidell family, which has planned a major redevelopment. ... To bring Nike to Portland, the city would tap money from its North Macadam urban renewal district, which covers the South Waterfront and includes the Zidell property." OregonLive.com, April 11

City Releases Amended Proposed Draft for West Hayden Island. "The Amended Proposed Draft for West Hayden Island is now available for public review. The document, which represents the third draft of proposals for the planning and annexation of West Hayden Island, was released yesterday at a Planning and Sustainability Commission...briefing." Bureau of Planning and Sustainability media release, April 10

Let the public see who's responsible for river discharge: Guest opinion. OregonLive.com, April 6

Oregon Health Authority releases final report on Willamette Cove beach. The State of Oregon Health Authority's Environmental Health Assessment Program has finalized a Health Consultation for the East Parcel Beach portion of Willamette Cove. This final report incorporates comments received during the public comment period on an earlier draft, but still finds that the beach represents and area of public health concern. (Image: OHA)   

Crystal Springs Restoration Project video. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers describes West Moreland Park / Crystal Springs joint restoration project with City of Portland. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, April 3

Willamette spring chinook run lags Columbia catches. OregonLive.com, April 6

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Revising the U.S.-Canada treaty for Columbia River use needs full public input now. "... the master blueprint of river operations is the Columbia River Treaty, hammered out after [the 1948 Vanport flood]. That's about to change, however. Nobody knows quite how. And life here could change, too, or at least become more expensive, if the Pacific Northwest fails to negotiate wisely with Canada."  Oregonian Editorial, April 5.  

Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership 2013 Science to Policy Summit on the Columbia River Treaty-A Treaty for our Time: Implications for the Lower Columbia River. Friday, May 10, 2013. $35. Pre-registration required. [Image by Bala on flickr]

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Portside, April 2013. Includes: The Nature of Mitigation; The Port's Mitigation Sites;

Aviation News; Marine and Properties News; Business and Environmental News; Growing a Healthy Economy. Port of Portland 

 Portland Marine Terminal Upgraded for Soda Ash Exports. "With the installation of a new ship loader, removal of an outmoded structure and dredging alongside the docks, Kinder Morgan's soda ash export facility at the Port of Portland's Terminal 4 will boost efficiency and set the stage for growth. The work is now underway, and slated to be complete in September." Port of Portland news release, April 12

Bulk carrier runs aground on Columbia River near mouth of Willamette, but now 'back on station' Coast Guard says. "A bulk carrier, the Adfines East, broke free from its mooring at Terminal 4 on the Willamette River Tuesday, US Coast Guard officials said.  The ship traveled about 1.5 miles downstream to where the river meets the Columbia River..." OregonLive.com, April 9

Harsch gets PDC assist on Centennial Mills development. "The Portland Development Commission has approved a predevelopment loan of $350,000 for Harsch Investment Properties to conduct due diligence and design for redevelopment of Centennial Mills." Portland Business Journal, April 9  

Skylab, Key Development unveil proposed Burnside Bridgehead project. "Hood River-based Key Development Co. and Skylab Architecture are proposing a concept for Block 67 that would be unique for Portland. The project would include a 19- to 21-story, 224-unit glass tower atop a heavily landscaped podium building. Key would activate that lower structure with barbecue pits, bocce ball courts and possibly rock climbing walls." DJCOregon.gov, April 9 [may require subscription to view] Image: Rivers Office

Cool Spaces: All aboard Cascade Web Development's railcar office. "The Portland Business Journal ventures to the eastern banks of the Willamette River to call on a modern Web company operating in an old fashioned railcar." Portland Business Journal, March 29

Our Favorite Rides: OMSI to Oregon City route puts you in touch with history. "Taking this route is like a two-wheeled history tour. Along the way, you pass through several areas that have key connections to the region's past." OregonLive.com, April 12, 2013 

by M.O. Stevens on Wikipedia Commons

Champoeg park museum move comes with big challenges. "Museum officials have to move the Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin Museum about a quarter of a mile. Presently, the structure is near the Willamette River, on land that has eroded over the past 50 years; it's now at risk of sliding in to the water." DJCOregon.com, March 27 [may require subscription to view.] 

Metro volunteers, staff keep tabs on amphibian eggs. "On a recent Saturday, a small group of volunteers donned chest waders to make sure Metro was doing a good job protecting wildlife habitat at its Willamette Narrows natural area near West Linn." Metro News, March 27

Trail offers river views, riparian forest-Willamette River Trail generates excitement in Independence. "With many trails at least a full hour's drive from Salem - or two hours in many cases - there's a certain inherent giddiness about any local route. That's why the Willamette River Trail, which begins just 20 minutes from Salem at Riverview Park in Independence, has generated a fair bit of excitement." StatesmanJournal.com, April 2

Luckiamute Landing State Natural Area beckons spring outing seekers to mid-Willamette Valley (photo gallery). "Consider yourself lucky if you have time to visit Luckiamute. This 900-plus acre, relatively new Oregon state park puts visitors in a rare ecosystem, the mid-Willamette Valley."

OregonLive.com, March 29

Can Pearl-style apartments fly in Eugene? "...a Portland developer intends to construct a 466-unit upscale project in Eugene. Monday, Wells Fargo Bank closed a $47.5 million construction loan with Portland-based BPM Real Estate Group to construct Riverwalk, a $70 million project on Eugene's Goodpasture Island. ... The first phase of Riverwalk will include 274 units of apartments with the high-end amenities found in Portland's tony Pearl District." Portland Business Journal, April 2

CH2M HILL & Singapore's Canals--Reconnecting People to Water's Life Flow. "Realizing the full potential of urban waterways ultimately creates a treasure for the city as well as an educational centerpiece where people learn to care for natural resources. This transformation involves three steps:.." Livebetter eMagazine, April 2013

How fish consumption determines water quality. High Country News, April 1

To view past River News Digests, click here.

To submit news, email Rick Bastasch, or call 503.823.0275

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.