2009 Spring-Summer Current News, Clackamas River Basin Council

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the Clackamas the Clackamas the Clackamas the Clackamas the Clackamas Spring/Summer 2009

CURRENT NEWSCURRENT NEWSCURRENT NEWSCURRENT NEWSCURRENT NEWSthe newsletter of the Clackamas River Basin Council

On Sunday, September 13th, approximately 300 volunteers descended on Barton Park withone goal in mind: cleaning the Clackamas River. Arming themselves with protective glovesand bags for trash and recyclable items, pods of volunteers hopped into a myriad number ofboats to get the job done. Pods were assigned to scour different stretches of river betweenBarton and Clackamette Parks, and did so cheerfully and competently, removing 2.48 tons of

trash, a marked decrease from years past. At the end of the day, volunteers were treated to abarbecue coordinated by Next Adventure and the sounds of Swing Papillon, a jazz/blues band.

The event represents a culmination of months of planning among several different organizations,including the newly formed We Love Clean Rivers, Inc. Donations from a variety of generoussponsors and supporters were also integral to the events success. CRBC would like to especiallythank those organizations listed below, and remind you to stay tuned for information aboutnext years cleanup!

Volunteers combine forces to clean the Clackamas

Salmonids cheer removal of weir!The CRBC is excited to announce thatanother half-mile of stream habitat on theNorth Fork of Deep Creek has been madeavailable to salmonids. A concrete weir wasremoved in August 2009, improving habitatfor spawning and rearing The weir, whichwas located near the Boring Trail Station,

was approximately 30 feet in width and 5feet in height, making it a significant barrierfor fish passage. This project wasaccomplished by Aquatic Contractors, andwork was financed through a combination ofWES funds and CRBC monies from theNational Fish and Wildlife Foundation andUS Forest Service.

Fish can now travel through this area.


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Himalayan BlackberryOne of the more painful invasive

species to remove is Himalayan blackberry(Rubus discolor).Though thereare blackberryspecies native tothe Northwest ,Himalyans aredist inguishable by their larger

thorns. Blackberries may form denseclumps of vegetation, and its best to usea chainsaw to cut them off at ground level.

This process can be repeated until theplants have exhausted themselves.Removing their extensive root systems canalso be performed, so long as this processdoes not create excessive erosion. As withivy, be sure to remove all material afteruprooting the plants -- you dont wantthem to come back!

English IvyAs its name suggests, English

ivy ( Hedera helix)

is native toEurope. Here inAmerica, it is known forcreating dense mats ofvegetation on theground, or c l imbingtrees by affixing suckersto bark. In this way,the ivy can often pulldown fully-grown treesand smother native vegetation. Naturalresources managers use a variety of

tactics to control ivy, depending on thelevel of infestation. Loppers may be usedto trim around the base of a covered tree,but be sure not to leave root nodes on theground, as they may re-root and producea new plant. Ivy removal efforts shouldalso be sure to cart the plant materialfrom the s i te , and throw i t away.

CRBCs effortsThe CRBC is working to removeinvasive species from the Clackamaswatershed. Reference sites arecurrently being established as part of agrant from our local Soil and WaterConservation District. CRBC willperiodical ly survey these photo points

in order to detect and respond toinvasives, and use this data to generateinformation about species management.Three of the invasive species ofparticular concern in this area includeEnglish Ivy, Japanese Knotweed, andHimalayan blackberry. If you are astreamside landowner and have seenany of these plants on your property,please contact CRBC! We are happy toprovide removal advice, and may be

able to secure free native plants for re-planting efforts.

Japanese Knotweed Japanese knotweed (Po lygonumcuspidatum),can be nearly impossible toeradicate once it becomes a mature stand.The best defense against knotweed is

never allowing it tobecome established inthe f irs t place.

Knotweed is especiallyfond of dis turbedsoils , so monitorproperty carefully. Ifyou need to remove aninfestation, be carefulnot to cut the plant

into many pieces -- each piece with anode can re-root. To avoid this, you maypack the uprooted knotweed in darkplastic bags, or smother it with plastic at

the restoration site itself.

Have you seen theseinvaders?


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CRBC and Eagle Scouts partner to improve watershed

If you or your organization would like to plan a restoration project, please contact Becki Walker at(503) 558-0550 [email protected] to set up a date that works for you.

EcOzone works to promote a clean Clackamas

CRBC is proud to engage with a variety of differentvolunteers to make the work of keeping theClackamas healthy a lighter load for all parties

involved. We were quite delighted to work withtwo different Boy Scouts working to attain theirEagle Scout ranking. Jared Christensen and JoshGrimm collaborated with former Education andOutreach Coordinator Laura Nappi to identifydifferent riparian sites in need of remediation. Theyoung men then removed invasive species andimplemented the planting plans theyd designed ontheir own. These streamside plants will help tofilter pesticides and eroded soil, and provide shadeto creeks, keeping temperature low for salmonid

populations. We salute the efforts of these Scoutsand wish them the best of luck in future endeavors.

Volunteershard at work on Jareds project site.

If you notice blue-and-green signs dotting the landscape as youre travelling Clackamas

County, take notice! The county continued a program begun last year called the ecOzonecampaign. This campaign focuses on pollution prevention along the Clackamas River, andis housed at the 17-acre site of the former Carver Curves.

In addition to the Carver Curves home base for the group, ecOzone efforts can be seen closeto the water. If youre boating between Barton and Carver Parks and find yourself feeling aneed to heed natures call, you can use a portable restroom, as well as recycle any items youmay find weighing your raft down. Volunteers have also distributed marine whistles, signsto homes and public areas, and other materials to promote river health.

The land was purchased by Metro using funds from the NaturalAreas bond measure, passed by voters in 2006. The deed was thenimmediately transferred to Clackamas County, who will managethe property indefinitely.

For more information, contact Pamela Girtman, Clackamas County,at [email protected].


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On August 3rd,Becki Walker joined theCRBC team asthe Educationand OutreachC o o r d i n a t o r .Becki moved toOregon in 2007,and has worked

as a horticulturist at the OregonGarden and an environmentaleducator for the City of Salem. Callher at 503.558.0550 or email her [email protected].

CRBC Welcomes New Staff Many thanks

to our partners and donors:

Dave Albrecht, AIRE, Alder Creek Canoe & Kayak,American Medical Response, AmeriCorps, Backyard BirdShop, Biokleen, Boring Park Commission, City ofDamascus, City of Estacada, City of Happy Valley, City ofLake Oswego, City of Milwaukie, Clackamas CommunityCollege, Clackamas County (CC) Board of Commissioners,CC Dept of Transportation & Development, CC MarineSheriff, CC Parks, CC Soil & Water Conservation District,CC Water Environment Services, Clackamas EmergencyServices Foundation, Clackamas Fire Dist #1, ClackamasHigh School (HS), Clackamas River Water, ClackamasRiver Water Providers, Columbia Sportswear, ConcordiaUniversity, Damascus Civic Club, DeAngelos Catering,Dump Stoppers, Eagle Creek Barton CPO, Eagle Creek

Elementary School (ES), Earlean Marsh, eNRG Kayaking,Estacada HS, Estacada Library, Fertile GroundLandscaping, Friends of Clyde Rice, Friends of Tickle Creek,Happy Valley ES, Higgins Restaurant, Heart in Oregon,Irwin-Hodson Printing, John Inskeep Learning Center,KEEN footwear, Latitudes Printing, LINKS Program,Lowell Hanna Studios, Cheryl & Paul McGinnis, Meat isGood For You, Metro, CM Meyer, Mississippi Studios, MtHood Community College Youth Employability SupportServices, MTI Adventurewear, NOAA, Noahs Bagels,Newland Communities, New Seasons Market, NextAdventure, NW Rafter's Association, NW Steelheaders,NRS, Oak Lodge Water Dist., Old Spaghetti Factory, ORDept. of Agriculture, OR Dept. of Environmental Quality,OR Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, OR Dept. of Forestry, ORKayak & Canoe Club, OR State Lottery, OR State Parks,OR Trout, OR Watershed Enhancement Board, OR WildlifeHeritage Foundation, OSU Extension, OSU Sea Grant,Patagonia, Patterson Nursery, PGE, Portland StateUniversity, Rack Attack, RAZ Transportation, REI, RiotKayaks, River Connection, River Network, Ruff Wear, Sah-Hah Lee Golf Course, Sandy WC, ShadowridgeNeighborhood Association, Siri & Sons Farms, Sleepy

Hollow Tree Farm, Smith Optics, SOLV, Sotar, South ForkWater Board, Spring Mountain ES, St. Croix Paddlesports,Stone Cliff Inn, Student Watershed Research Project(SWRP), Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Sunrise WaterAuthority, The Nature Conservancy, The North Face, ThreeRivers Land Conservancy, Timberline, Jacqueline Tommas,US Geological Services, US Forest Service, Werner Paddles,West Hills Development and Arbor Custom Homes, West

Linn HS, Whitewater Designs, and Yakima

Proud of what were doing?

If youd like to support habitat andeducation projects for clean water and

healthy streams,please use the envelope inside this

newsletter to make a donation.

You can also donate online! Check outour website for more information.

All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest

extent of the law.

Free PesticideReduction

ConsultationsDo you have problems with weedsor rodents on your property?Would you like to know how toproperly apply pesticides, or to usedifferent methods that achieve thesame ult imate goals? Consider

inviting CRBC to your property todo a pest ic ide reduct ionassessment! All visi ts are free!Simply call or email our office to

schedule.


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Clackamas River Basin CouncilP.O. Box 1869Clackamas, OR [email protected]

Clackamas River Basin Council Calendar

There are many ways for you to become involved with the CRBC. Meetnew people at a work party, learn more about the watershed on a guided

hike, or share your knowledge and opinions at a council meeting.

Clackamas River Basin Council MeetingsThird Thursday of the month, 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.The public is always welcome, and you are invited! Contact the CRBCwith any questions.

First Saturday Work PartiesFirst Saturday of each month, location TBAContact Becki for specific times and locations.

Water Environment Services of Clackamas County Work PartiesDates and times may vary

For more information on how you can help, visit www.clackamas.us/wes/

Green from the Ground Up SeminarsDates and times may varyMetro is sponsoring a number of seminars open to the general public. For details on theseseminars, visit their website: http://calendar.oregonmetro.gov/events/index.php

For more details on any of these activities, contact Becki [email protected] or (503) 558-0550.

Documents

2009 Spring-Summer Current News, Clackamas River Basin Council