DID YOU KNOW?
SOME BACKGROUND HISTORY
By volume the Willamette River is the 13th largest river in the continental United States and the largest, and one of the longest, in Oregon. Running for 187 miles, the Willamette delivers 24 million acre-feet of water each year.
The flow of the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers has influenced the development of Lane County. Likewise, farms and cities have made great changes in the rivers themselves. Before the days of the Oregon Trail and the beginning of agriculture in the Willamette Valley, the Willamette River spread across the valley floor in a series of side channels and seasonal ponds in addition to the main flow sometimes as wide as several miles. Water was high in the winter and spring from rains and melting snow, followed by low periods in the summer and fall. The McKenzie had a narrower influence on its valley because of the steeper grade of the riverbed, but it also had side channels and considerable fluctuation in flow.
When settlers arrived in the Willamette Valley they found the soil fertile, so they began blocking channels, leveling ground, and planting crops. The modern river is several feet lower in many places because the narrowing of the banks has increased the speed of the water and scoured the bed. Old cottonwoods along the banks continue to thrive, but it is very hard for a young cottonwood to grow because the water table has dropped, and the tree dies before its roots reach the moisture it requires. Trying to control these rivers was a long, complex process, and over the years a variety of efforts has given us the rivers we enjoy today. But this has come at a cost. No one wants floods back, and miles of side channels aren't practical. Now issues from fish protection to pollution control and natural resources preservation demand our attention.
THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Old pictures of Eugene often show photos of buildings sitting in pools of water the city used to flood. In the 1930s the Corps began to change that picture by building dams on both rivers and their tributaries: two on the McKenzie, four on the Middle Fork, and two on the Coast Fork of the Willamette. These federal dams, along with five others located elsewhere on the Willamette system (the Willamette Project), control approximately 27% of the basin's flow. The amount of protection varies depending on location and the level of flooding. In the case of a greater than 100-year event, some of the reservoirs may reach full pool quickly, in which case there would be no flood control. In fact, the extended release could actually exacerbate flood damage.
The reservoirs are lowered in the fall and kept lowered so space is available for heavy winter rains or snowmelt. During the spring the reservoirs are gradually refilled and left high during the summer for conservation and recreation. Dams also generate power, provide irrigation, and augment river flows to wash migrating juvenile salmon downstream in the spring and to improve water quality and enable wastewater systems to function in the summer.
Federal agencies (the Corps, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bonneville Power Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries) are currently developing a biological opinion on the effect of the Willamette Project on spring chinook salmon, winter steelhead trout, and other fish listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1999. In recent years, the Corps, with other federal and state agencies, has coordinated interim measures to protect these stocks. For example, they have increased the springtime flow of water and are refitting Cougar Dam (McKenzie River) to enable dam operations to regulate the temperature of released water to better mimic the historic natural pattern.
WILLAMETTE RIVER GREENWAY
According to state statute, the Willamette River Greenway was established to protect and preserve the natural, scenic, historic, and recreational qualities of lands along the Willamette River for public education and enjoyment. The Willamette Greenway is not a regulatory program; it is a voluntary conservation program. The boundaries of the Greenway vary. In open farm areas it is defined as 150 feet from the low-water mark. In the case of parks, it may be as wide as a mile.
In 1975 the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) adopted Statewide Planning Goal 15: Willamette River Greenway. This goal requires local governments to adopt Greenway boundaries, to determine the uses permitted within the Greenway, and to indicate areas they might acquire. Local governments must require a compatibility review for any change or intensification of use or development within the Greenway. The Greenway does NOT prohibit any uses, changes, or intensification of development; it only requires a public hearing on proposals. Cities make Greenway decisions for lands within their urban growth boundaries and counties for land outside the UGB. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has responsibility for state lands in the Greenway. Recently an exception was approved for placing fill in the Willamette Greenway for the I-5 right-of-way crossing for a temporary detour bridge.
THE METRO PLAN
The Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan is the comprehensive vision for the future of the Eugene-Springfield community developed cooperatively by the cities of Springfield and Eugene and Lane County. The Metro Plan notes that a large portion of land within the Greenway in the metropolitan area is in public ownership. Residential uses provide the residents with access to the river. Commercial uses, such as restaurants, often allow customers visual access. Industrial development, such as that in Glenwood, provides less opportunity for enjoyment of the Greenway. Isolated access points in rural agricultural areas are sometimes targets for vandalism and trespass on nearby private lands.
FEDERAL REGULATIONS
Many federal laws regulate these rivers. Two particular items of federal legislation - the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act - have had a profound effect on the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers. Their requirements have driven many federal and local studies and projects and mandated improvements to water quality and habitats through better urban stormwater and wastewater systems, dam modifications, and riparian habitat improvements, particularly for salmon. Work on the Springfield Millrace, Eugene's Amazon Creek, and the South Meadows area of Buford Park are examples. Any relaxing of the enforcement of federal environmental regulations may affect the future quality of these waters.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has mapped the floodplain (the area to be affected by a 100-year flood) and the floodway (the area within the banks at flood stage). The maps affect flood insurance, and the availability of flood insurance influences development. It is worthwhile to note that the FEMA studies were done in 1974 or earlier and may not reflect current reality. For example, increased development close to the rivers may lead to increased runoff. Also, when floodwaters try to find old channels that are blocked, unpredictable localized changes in flood elevations and severe erosion can occur. No construction is allowed in the floodway, and buildings in the floodplain must put the ground floor at least one foot above the high water mark for that location. Springfield has very little land in the floodplain but does require a 75-foot setback from either river.
PARKS
Rivers to Ridges: Metropolitan Regional Parks and Open Space Study was prepared by the Lane Council of Governments in 2003 for the cities of Eugene and Springfield, Lane County, and the Willamalane Parks and Recreation District. Its goal is to create a regional vision and to identify long- and short-term strategies for implementing that vision. One of its guiding principles is to "protect, conserve, and enhance rivers, waterways, wetlands, and associated floodplains for their habitat, flood protection, water quality, recreation, and scenic values."
Cottage Grove: There are two city parks in the Willamette River Greenway in Cottage Grove. Silk Creek Park is at the mouth of Silk Creek where it flows into the Coast Fork. North Regional Park is at the confluence of the Coast Fork of the Willamette River and the Row River.
Eugene: Eugene parks on the Willamette River include Alton Baker Park (the largest city park at 397 acres), Skinner Butte Park, Owen Rose Garden, Maurie Jacobs Park, Delta Ponds, and Rasor Park. The bike path connects all the riverfront parks with 12 miles of riverfront trails. Eugene is in the process of developing a new plan for parks, recreation, and open space.
Springfield (Willamalane): The Willamalane Parks and Recreation District manages Eastgate Woodlands (adjacent to Alton Baker Park), the West D Street Greenway, and Island Park on the Willamette mainstem. Dorris Ranch Living History Farm and Clearwater Park are on the Middle Fork of the Willamette. Harvest Landing is a Willamalane park on the McKenzie. In March 2004 the Willamalane Park District adopted a 20-year comprehensive plan that includes the proposed development of a Glenwood riverfront park on the Willamette River.
Lane County: The County has a series of parks and developed landings on the McKenzie River between the town of Leaburg and its confluence with the Willamette including Armitage, Bellinger, Hendricks Bridge, and Deerhorn. Howard Buford Recreation Area on the Coast Fork of the Willamette is Lane County's largest park with more than 2300 acres. Lane County Parks is hoping to update its 24-year-old comprehensive plan next year.
State of Oregon: Elijah Bristow State Park and Jasper Park are on the Middle Fork of the Willamette downstream from Dexter Dam.
CITY ACTIVITIES
In Eugene a large portion of land in the Greenway more than 75% - is in public ownership. Eugene processes very few Greenway permits, and they are normally for public lands. Recent applications include the changes to Autzen Stadium and, more recently, the plans for Skinner Butte Park. If the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital decides to relocate to the EWEB building, a Greenway permit would be required. The new federal courthouse site is not inside the Greenway.
While Springfield lies between the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers, much of its urban growth boundary does not reach either river. Exceptions where private land fronts the rivers include the areas of Glenwood, Gateway, and Thurston. The Glenwood area has many old structures in the Greenway that are likely to be removed for redevelopment in the foreseeable future. There have been serious flooding problems in the Thurston area, associated with developments, and in the Hayden Bridge (both in and out of the city limits) and Q Street ditch areas.
Flooding problems on the McKenzie occur downstream of the Mohawk River. Planning for the new PeaceHealth hospital and related development in Springfield has raised issues concerning the location in the McKenzie floodplain. Residential construction must meet the one-foot rule, but commercial buildings are not required to do so. Sony Corporation built in the floodplain without the plant being raised. PeaceHealth will be set back 75 feet and be above the 500-year flood mark. They have agreed to remove invasive species like blackberries from the riverbank and build a path with appropriate plantings and unobstructed access to the river. This path will be open to the public; a bike path a bit farther back from the river is being discussed. The Willamette Greenway does not include the McKenzie River.
The City of Cottage Grove grew up on the banks of the Coast Fork of the Willamette, and its city hall, parts of downtown, and a mobile home park are all within the Greenway. Much of the land along the Row River is in city ownership because of its propensity to flood. The Speedway and a golf course are in the Greenway and adjacent to the city parkland at the confluence of these two rivers.
NATURAL RESTORATION EFFORTS
The Willamette Restoration Initiative, an executive order signed in 1998 by Governor Kitzhaber, stresses "developing a community-based, comprehensive, integrated strategy for enhancing, restoring, and conserving the biological integrity and economic vitality of the Willamette River Basin." This initiative came about near the time of President Clinton's executive order that created the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, which sought to provide federal assistance and help channel existing federal funding to make rivers "models of innovative economic and ecologically sustainable approaches to river restoration and protection."
Note that "economic" is always included along with "restoration." First of all, it must be economically affordable and feasible to restore our waterways, and it also must make sense economically with today's population. For instance, we may never be able to go back to absolutely no dam operations on the rivers, for we depend too much on our flood control efforts and use of electricity. So, in discussing natural restoration efforts, we are looking at what is feasible, at bits and pieces of complex systems. Questions include, "Is it enough, too much, affordable, can we afford not to do it, does it hurt/help land-owners?" But the more that is done, the closer we can go back to what once were natural flowing rivers and ecosystems. Several efforts of natural restoration are going on in the portion of the Willamette and McKenzie rivers included in this study.
George Grier, project manager, discussed the McKenzie River Trust's Green Island Project with us. The Trust has signed an agreement for $1.7 million to buy the land from the Green family, who farmed it for most of the 20th century. The approximate cost of restoring and reclaiming Green Island to its 1930s former self may be another $1.7million. This almost 1200 acre complex near Coburg, one large island and seven small ones, once separated the main Willamette and McKenzie flows. Long-term restoration will rely in part on aerial photos dating to the 1930s. Perhaps area farmers and residents can provide other clues to the area's natural history. Restoration will be taken in measured steps. Blackberries and other invasive vegetation will be removed and replaced with native plants, while the fields will continue to be leased for farming in the short term. Eventually, the rivers will be allowed to reclaim the farmland. Floods will punch through banks and berms, cutting new channels throughout the confluence area and creating attractive habitat for salmon, bull trout, waterfowl, river otter, and other native species. Also, some dormant river channels in this area will be allowed to reopen.
Another project of the McKenzie River Trust on the lower McKenzie is Big Island. Through a collaborative partnership with the Springfield Utility Board, ODFW, BPA, and cooperating private landowners, over 100 acres of high-value habitat will be protected. Restoration projects currently being developed will enhance opportunities for salmon, sensitive amphibians, and western pond turtles. The island also holds the only breeding population of the endangered Oregon chub identified in the past 100 years on the McKenzie River. There is a large heron rookery located on the island. Additionally, a key component of the plan calls for significant groundwater protection. This project took almost 20 years of persistence to get to where it is today.
Another non-profit restoration entity is Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, whose mission is to "protect and enhance native ecosystems and compatible recreation in the Mt. Pisgah area." Chris Orsinger, executive director of the group, gave us an update on the South Meadow Floodplain Restoration Project within Lane County's Howard Buford Recreation Area. The 200-acre project area includes a three-fourth-mile-long restored side channel habitat, over 16,000 newly planted native trees, shrubs, and grasses and more than 40 acres of exotic blackberry under control at the southwest base of Mount Pisgah. This project on the Coast Fork of the Willamette River has taken seven years of planning and fundraising. There is still much to be done, but it will recreate habitat for salmon, trout, pond turtles, and many native species of plants and other animals, as well as improve public recreational and educational opportunities.
In addition to watershed councils, conservancy groups, etc., that do much for our local rivers, the City of Eugene has its Stream Team. The mission of the Team is to create and support increased stewardship of Eugene's watersheds. Volunteers learn about and contribute to the protection and enhancement of their urban watershed in a variety of settings using diverse skills. Volunteers participate in hands-on enhancement projects related to water quality and fish and wildlife habitat. They train as trail guides, lead groups of all ages on tours of local wetlands and river systems, stencil storm drains, adopt a pond, stream, or wetland, collect seeds, and learn about and tend plants at the Native Plant Nursery.
Our waterways can never be exactly as they were before humans arrived and began to alter them, but the above efforts are ongoing, and there are many, many more underway to restore and enhance these rivers that are so important to our everyday lives.
2003 LWVLC ADOPTED STUDY
Greenway/confluence/open space: a study of the effectiveness of current LCDC rules and guidelines for rivers in Lane County, especially the McKenzie and Willamette and their confluences. Such a study would be based on state land-use positions. It would explore how these rules are used to influence siting for developments like hospitals and parks. It would pursue preservation of the two major confluences as parks and protection of nearby open spaces. A field trip could be part of the study.
A WORD ABOUT THE CONFLUENCES This material doesn't concentrate on the confluences of our four rivers: the Row, Coast Fork, Middle Fork, and McKenzie. When the study was adopted, none of us knew very much about these rivers, which was the reason for the research. We found that Cottage Grove is working toward adding more parkland to the North Regional Park at the confluence of the Row and the Coast Fork but is short of funds. The Coast Fork and Middle Fork come together south of Springfield by Dorris Ranch Park and near Lane County's Howard Buford Recreation Area. The Friends of Buford Park are interested in adding the confluence to the county park if and when there is a willing seller. The McKenzie and the Willamette Rivers once joined with a complex series of islands and side channels, so it was impossible to say, "this is the spot." Today, because of our much more simplified river system, the point where the McKenzie enters the Willamette is quite apparent and easy to identify. It is the site of significant natural and commercial interests in our region. The McKenzie River Trust efforts we describe are in this area.
SCOPE OF STUDY
The Willamette Greenway is defined by state statute as downstream from the Cottage Grove Dam on the Coast Fork and from Dexter Dam on the Middle Fork. The study committee decided to include downstream from Leaburg on the McKenzie River and focus on these three sources of the Willamette north to Linn County near Harrisburg.
RELATED LWVOR POSITIONS
Land Use