County Awards $300,000 in Grants to Support Watershed Health and Management

Clackamas County Water Environment Services (WES) is awarding $300,000 in grants through the RiverHealth Stewardship Program to 14 organizations for the protection of local watersheds.

The grants will support a variety of activities that restore habitat, manage invasive plant species, organize community volunteer events, provide watershed science education, and remove trash from waterways while enhancing water quality. The grants will also support the continuation of previous projects to protect investments made in recent years.

The following 14 organizations will receive a total of $300,000 in grant funds:

Dave’s Killer Bread ($8,000) – In partnership with the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, Dave’s Killer Bread will develop a concept plan for the Dave’s Killer Bread site, including streamside planting, improved stormwater management, and native landscaping. The plan will allow future on-the-ground projects to be implemented in phases.

Happy Valley Heights Home Owners Association ($29,136) – will restore 16.4 acres at the headwaters of Mt. Scott Creek owned by the Homeowners Association resulting in improvement of the watershed. The association will work with Friends of Trees, the North Clackamas Urban Watersheds Council, and Mosaic Ecology to achieve professional-level restoration with volunteers.
Clackamas River Basin Council ($30,000) – will lead three projects at: Burlwood HOA on Trillium Creek, Wenzel Park Estates on a tributary to Sieben Creek and stewardship of previously planted site at Helzer Way.

Clackamas River Community Cooperative ($30,000) – will create improved property access to facilitate continued restoration and revegetation along Sieben Creek to the Clackamas River.

Columbia Land Trust and Portland Audubon Backyard Habitat Program ($5,166.30) – provides technical assistance, incentives, resources, and recognition to participants as they enhance native wildlife habitat, control invasive weeds, reduce pesticides, and manage stormwater at home.

Ecology in Classrooms & Outdoors ($30,000) – will provide in-classroom education, schoolyard and wetland restoration, and stewardship of previously installed rain gardens and vegetated swales on school properties. They will also provide watershed education and restoration field trips for Clackamas High School Environmental Science students.

Friends of Trees ($29,991) – Friends of Trees will conduct streamside restoration with volunteers, and engage elementary school students with environmental education.

Johnson Creek Watershed Council ($22,203) – will engage volunteers and students in stewardship and educational activities, including a watershed-wide planting event, a creek cleanup, a Science in the Park event, and service learning for students.

Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership ($29,506.70) – will work with ClackaCraft Drift Boats and Juncus Studio to design and build a 480 square foot stormwater infiltration facility that captures stormwater runoff from approximately 4,800 square feet of impervious area at the ClackaCraft Showroom.

North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District ($12,000) – will partner with the North Clackamas Watersheds Council on a three-part project that will restore 2.44 acres of the Mt. Talbert Nature Park along Mt. Scott Creek, sponsor a second annual watershed clean-up event, and plan environmental education.

North Clackamas Watersheds Council ($29,997) – will expand the Streamside Stewards Program in the Kellogg – Mt. Scott watersheds, including stream bank restoration and building an enduring stewardship ethic among landowners.

Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides ($10,000) – will train 40 Spanish-speaking landscape professionals in stormwater facility design, installation, and maintenance.

Rivers of Life Center ($20,000) – will partner with Eagle Landing Golf Course, Eagle Loft Condominiums, and New Hope Community Church to conduct restoration along sections of Phillips and Stevens Creeks, and install a native plant demonstration garden. The project will employ 30 at-risk youth to work with skilled groundskeepers and residents as volunteers.

The Wetlands Conservancy ($14,000) – will develop tools to measure the services and community benefits provided by the Mt Scott and Kellogg Creek wetlands and communicate these benefits to residents. The project will also develop an opportunities map and toolbox of strategies appropriate for improvements to the upper Kellogg area.

Learn more about the RiverHealth Stewardship Program.