![]() More than 100 years of industrial, agricultural, and urban activities throughout the Columbia Slough watershed have led to low-level, widespread sediment contamination. We are actively working to protect and restore the health of the Columbia Slough watershed. Several culvert replacement projects also have improved water flow (hydrology) and fish access to habitat.įind more information about previous projects along the slough on our restoration and monitoring map. In addition, we've completed several watershed restoration projects in the slough including the Columbia Slough Confluence Salmon Habitat Restoration, Ramsey Refugia Habitat Enhancement, and the Lower Slough Refugia, which improved habitat for threatened Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead trout. Dissolved oxygen levels have improved due to Port of Portland changes in de-icing chemicals on airport runways. Projects to abandon septic tanks and cesspools have reduced E. We continue to maintain pump stations to provide sanitary service and protect the slough. Today, it is a good place to explore nature by foot, canoe, or kayak.Ĭombined sewer overflows to the slough have been reduced to almost zero per year starting in 2000 as part of the Big Pipe project. Under the Clean Water Act, the City made improvements to better manage sewage and reduce industrial pollution to the slough. Investments over the last 20 years have improved the Columbia Slough’s water quality. Visit the Columbia Slough Watershed Report Card for more information. In 2019, the Columbia Slough watershed received the following marks: There is room for improvement, as the most recent report card indicates. The upper reaches of the slough, including much of northeast Portland, are part of the Columbia South Shore Well Field and Well Protection Area, from where Portland draws groundwater as a supplementary source of drinking water. To make space for development, they filled and diverted wetlands, streams, and side channels. This resulted in a major loss of wetlands, floodplains, and forests for the region.ĭespite the last century’s changes, the slough remains a “Jewel of Portland.” Its watershed provides important habitat for fish and wildlife, including several endangered species. Beginning in 1918, landowners along the slough formed three drainage districts to control floods. White settlers altered the watershed to accommodate industry, transportation, and agriculture. The watershed is the homeland of the Upper Chinook Native people. They used sophisticated land stewarding systems to coexist with nature. Indigenous people fished, hunted, and found food in this watershed. They also protected the slough’s rich and productive waterways, wetlands, and uplands. From there, the Columbia Slough meanders west through Gresham and Portland to the Willamette River. The Nature Conservancy shall be acknowledged as data contributors to any reports or other products derived from these data.The Columbia Slough is a slow moving and easy-to-canoe waterway. Its 20-plus miles of channels are home to river otters, painted turtles, and bald eagles. It also supports 170,000 residents and 4,200 businesses. Its source is in Fairview, Oregon. ![]() All parties receiving these data must be informed of these restrictions. The use of these data to produce other GIS products and services with the intent to sell for a profit is prohibited without the written consent of the Nature Conservancy. Any sale, distribution, loan, or offering for use of these digital data, in whole or in part, is prohibited without the approval of the Nature Conservancy. Use Constraints: The Nature Conservancy shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. However, site boundaries should be considered approximations, and site surveys should be performed by qualified individuals before any conservation activities are performed. Spatial Resolution: The polygons in this dataset have typically been digitized at 1 : 40,000, and all reasonable efforts have been taken to ensure that the best remaining habitat, as well as good restoration sites, are incorporated into this product. Full documentation of methods can be found in the document titled "Synthesis of Willamette Valley Habitat Plans", available from the Oregon Field Office of The Nature Conservancy.
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