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Board funds S. Scappoose Creek study
Sept. 24, 2007
News media contact:
- Janelle St. Pierre, Scappoose Bay Watershed Council, (503) 397-7904
- Wendy Hudson, OWEB Regional Program Representative, (503) 986-0061
Editors/reporters: A complete list by county of funded projects approved by the OWEB Board is posted on OWEB’s Website at: www.oregon.gov/OWEB. Click on “News and Announcements.”
Watershed council hopes to curb erosion and restore creek
The Scappoose Bay Watershed Council has received $50,000 to study the changing nature of South Scappoose Creek and develop a plan to restore the Columbia County creek to prevent erosion, improve water quality, create a natural asset for the community, and help fish.
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board recently approved funds for the project, which has a total cost of $65,000.
South Scappoose Creek is the most productive salmon-bearing creek within the Scappoose Bay Watershed, according to Janelle St. Pierre, coordinator of the Scappoose Bay Watershed Council. The section of creek that flows through the City of Scappoose is a critical link between Scappoose Bay and high quality salmon habitat in the upper watershed, she reported.
St. Pierre said the study will look at current conditions of the creek, changes made to the channel over time and future needs for erosion control and floodplain function along a four-mile segment of the creek. Study recommendations will outline opportunities and methods for restoration projects that will improve the health of the creek and help to protect properties. The watershed council will work with consultants, local officials, local citizens and other partners to develop the restoration plan.
About two miles of the section to be studied flows within the Scappoose city limits, according to City Manager Jon Hanken. “We wouldn’t be able to tackle this project without the Lottery funds,” he said. “It’s important that the state of Oregon continues to provide this level of funding for stream work,” he said.
Hanken said a city park in the planning stages on J.P. West Road will feature about 1,000 feet of creek frontage. “The city wants to be one of the first property owners to do proper streambank stabilization and creek restoration,” he said. “Through signs and demonstration areas, the park can show how the creek can be a natural and integral part of the city while providing benefits to fish and water quality,” he added.
Hanken noted that city employees are members of the local watershed council and have worked cooperatively on many similar projects in the past.
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board consists of 17 members. They represent the public at large, tribes, state natural resource agency boards and commissions, the Oregon State University Extension Service, and federal natural resource agencies. The board is supported by a state agency of the same name that provides grants and services to citizen groups, organizations and agencies working to restore healthy watersheds in Oregon. OWEB actions support the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, created in 1997. Funding comes from the Oregon Lottery as a result of a citizen initiative in 1998, sales of salmon license plates, federal salmon funds and other sources. For more information, visit www.oregon.gov/OWEB or call OWEB in Salem at 503-986-0178.
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