danger
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5

Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5, 2024, or dropped off at a ballot box by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Find your nearest ballot box

Clean Rivers Education – Resources about Stormwater and Green Infrastructure

Information
Photo shows students studying plants and structure of a green street planter by the roadside.
In nature, soil and plants absorb most of the rain. In the city, rain washes over streets and buildings and can carry pollution to rivers and streams or cause erosion and flooding. Check out these stormwater and green infrastructure education resources to learn more!

Local Resources

Videos

Portland CSO Program 1991-2011 

Lesley Stahl narrates this 12-minute video about Portland, Oregon's 20-year program to control combined sewer overflows, also known as the Big Pipe Project

Learn about Portland's work to clean up the Willamette River through our Big Pipe Project and how we manage stormwater in the city to improve water quality for animals and people. (12 mins)

Ecoroofs – The Nature of Portland's Rooftops

Ecoroofs manage stormwater and reduce pollution. They can also help conserve building energy, create green spaces for residents, and increase habitat for birds, bees, and wildlife. Learn more in this 4-minute video.

Learn about the benefits of ecoroofs in Portland. (4 min)

Drained: Urban Stormwater Pollution  (8 min)
From OPB/EarthFix. See a diver’s footage of a stormwater outfall in the Puget Sound and learn how scientists have studied innovative ways of treating stormwater in the Pacific Northwest.

The Willamette River Before the Clean Water Act (2 min, without audio)
Check out what the Willamette River looked like in the 1930s and 1940s when sewage, stormwater, industrial, and agricultural waste ran freely into the river.

Green Streets and Stormwater in Portland (60-minute, pre-recorded webinar)
Learn how the City of Portland manages the stormwater in our city and ways you can get involved! Webinar hosted by The Izaak Walton League of America.

Sustainable Cities: Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Design (8 min)
From The Nature Conservancy's Nature Lab. Learn about urban runoff and how working with nature rather than against it is a key to redesigning our cities to be more resilient and sustainable. Check out the accompanying teacher's guide.

Virtual Clean Water Festival – Stormwater Lesson (4th grade)
The Virtual Clean Water Festival is a series of water-related lessons is designed to support 4th-grade students in their exploration and understanding of local water resources and systems. In this lesson, students investigate how rainwater flows through neighborhoods and helps (or hurts) our water.

Articles

Multnomah County Trees are Doing Much More Than We Think
From Oregon Public Broadcasting. Learn how street trees are part of the solution for managing stormwater runoff and how local partnerships are working to increase tree canopy in the region.

Background Information and Stormwater/Green Infrastructure Research

Stormwater Management and Green Infrastructure— Learn more about stormwater projects, planning, and services; different ways we can manage stormwater in Portland through green infrastructure; green streets and ways to adopt and volunteer at a green street near you.


More Resources

Videos

Fifteen to the River: Explaining Stormwater Runoff (2 min)
Animated video that explains how polluted stormwater can pollute waterways. Describes how capturing rainwater where it falls and allowing it to soak in can reduce pollution and flooding and improve habitat for fish and wildlife. Created by the West Michigan Environmental Action Council and the City of Grand Rapids, this is a great introduction to stormwater.

Drain Rangers from Puget Sound Starts Here has a series of four short videos on stormwater that feature clever stop-motion animation. Two of the videos discuss the engineering design process. Also check out the Drain Rangers elementary and secondary curriculum guides.