| Willamette SIP |
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| Overview |
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In March 2008, the OWEB Board allocated upwards of $6 million for the Willamette Special Investments Partnership (SIP). The main objectives of this SIP are to: (a) re-establish channel complexity and length; and, (b) re-connect flood plains in the historic meander corridor of the Willamette River main stem and the major tributaries, wherever feasible. These objectives will restore aquatic and riparian habitats for a wide variety of species; and also will contribute significantly to restoration of river processes that improve water quality and native habitats for aquatic species.
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The Willamette Valley has numerous off-channel features such as gravel ponds that can provide habitat for native fish species, amphibians, and waterfowl.
Bowers Rock State Park, west of Albany, is one example of an opportunity to reconnect the river to provide fish passage and wetlands habitat for native species.
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One foundation of the Willamette partnership is that all partners will do what they can to mutually support one another's objectives, with particular emphasis on the areas of overlap. Willing participation of private landowners will be crucial to the success of the Willamette SIP. A key to the Willamette partnership is a series of agreements between OWEB and Meyer Memorial Trust, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), Department of State Lands (DSL), and the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI). Several projects from the list of identified objectives and projects are in development including Willamette Mission State Park, Bowers Rock State Park and Scappoose Bottoms.
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| Synthesis Mapping Project: Willamette Conservation Priorities |
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This map was developed by multiple partners working to define areas within the Willamette Valley Ecoregion that are high priorities for restoration and acquisition due to rare species or rare habitat type. The green areas that are in lowlands include many opportunities for SIP projects to re-connect channels and floodplains, but important SIP project may occur anywhere in the historic meander corridor of the main stem tributaries.
OWEB and its SIP partners are developing a map more specific to SIP priorities and opportunities.
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| Draft Willamette Floodplain Priority map provided by The Nature Conservancy. |
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| Projects Awarded or Pending Award to Date |
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Lower Willamette River Off-Channel Habitat Restoration at the Confluence of Stephens Creek – Funded for $199,060. Lower Stephens Creek provides off-channel habitat for ESA-listed Chinook, coho salmon, and steelhead in the Willamette River between the Sellwood and Ross Island Bridges in Portland. The City of Portland will restore the bank along Stephens Creek to provide floodplain connectivity and will remove invasive plants in the floodplain.
South Meadow Floodplain Enhancement Phase 3 – Funded for $204,823. This third phase of a multiyear project will restore the floodplain along the Coast Fork Willamette near Eugene. The project will increase the frequency of flow to a ¾ mile side channel complex and replant riparian vegetation in the floodplain.
Willamette Mission Programmatic Reconnection Project – Funded for $908,370. Willamette Mission State Park north of Salem contains a remnant channel isolated from the mainstem of the Willamette by revetments and dikes. The project will reconnect the channel to the Willamette River for salmonid habitat and remove fish passage barriers.
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| Supporting Documents |
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Staff reports supporting the formation of the Willamette SIP.
September 18-19, 2007
January 16-17, 2008
Attachments
March 19-20, 2008
May 20-21, 2008
September 16-17, 2008
January 21-22, 2009
Complete list of objectives and potential project sites.
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