West Lents Floodplain Restoration Project

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Environmental Services has designed a project to restore about 18 acres in the Johnson Creek floodplain. The project will reconnect Johnson Creek to its historic floodplain, reduce flooding on private property, restore habitat for fish and wildlife, and improve water quality in the creek.

Construction began in Spring 2025 and will take up to a year to complete.

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Project Overview

Current project efforts to restore Johnson Creek focus on returning it to a more natural state. This type of restoration provides a safe place for flood waters to spread out and soak into the ground.It also helps improve water quality and increases fish and wildlife habitat along Johnson Creek.

Johnson Creek provides important habitat for coho and Chinook salmon, as well as steelhead and cutthroat trout.  While these species still exist in Johnson Creek and its tributaries, their long-term survival depends on our ability to restore habitat and improve water quality.  Johnson Creek also serves as a critical habitat corridor for a wide range of migrating and resident wildlife.

Project Area

The project will take place in natural areas along Johnson Creek, to the south of the Springwater Corridor Trail between SE 82nd and SE 92nd Avenues.

The simplified map below is a visual illustration of the work zone and shows details on planned floodplain improvements, street removals, and construction access locations being used by city contractor.

Map for the West Lents Floodplain Restoration Project — Please note this map is not up to scale and does not provide an accurate measurement of the actual distances between places or the exact size of features.

General Schedule

Construction and tree removal began April 21. Work is expected to be complete towards the end of Spring 2026.

Please be aware that construction work may occur in phases, meaning the work zone may experience periods of inactivity. Other services like replanting work will be completed during the appropriate seasons.

What's Happening Now?

This week, the city contractor continues with tree and brush removal. Once completed, crews will move on to set up additional erosion control. Crews will install more silt fencing and gravel bags to prevent sediment runoff. Erosion control blankets may be used throughout the wetlands to cover and protect loose soil piles. Once finished, crews will transition to tree stump and brush grinding over the next several weeks. The traveling public should expect high volumes of large dump trucks transporting soil, gravel, and other building materials. The city contractor will build wheel-washing systems at multiple work zones. Watering roads and gravel trails will minimize dust and help reduce chances of transporting invasive species and other pollutants. Environmental Services will continue to monitor red-legged frog habitats and perform bird nest surveys during April.

The traveling public should stay alert to all workers, equipment, changes to traffic, and should anticipate delays during peak travel periods.

All work is weather-dependent, and the look-ahead schedule below is subject to change due to contractor availability.

Rest of the Week

Daytime work hours are Monday through Friday, and possibly Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following location:

Springwater Trail Corridor, near SE 82nd Avenue — Environmental Services continues to monitor floodplain and wildlife conditions. Work crews finish tree and brush removal. Once finished, erosion control to follow.
- Crew will transport natural materials on and offsite using construction access gates located at:
  - SE 82nd Avenue near Harney Street
  - SE 89th Avenue and Crystal Springs Boulevard
  - SE Malden Street, near SE 83rd Avenue and Lambert Street

Week of April 28

Daytime work hours are Monday through Friday, and possibly Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following location:

Springwater Trail Corridor, near SE 82nd Avenue — Environmental Services continues to monitor floodplain and wildlife conditions. Crews begin tree and brush pile grinding.
- Crew will transport natural materials on and offsite using construction access gates located at:
  - SE 82nd Avenue near Harney Street
  - SE 89th Avenue and Crystal Springs Boulevard
  - SE Malden Street, near SE 83rd Avenue and Lambert Street

The traveling public should expect higher levels of dust and noise due to tree maintenance, brush cutting, and vegetation removal. Industrial trucks, woodchipper shredders, saw cutters, stump grinders, and heavy-duty mulchers will be used by the city contractor. Environmental Services kindly advises the public to stay clear of all construction equipment and materials for your safety.

Please obey all traffic control signs and follow the directions of all flaggers onsite. Thank you for your cooperation.

Extreme Weather

When high temperatures, extreme heat, near freezing temperatures, or extreme cold are in the weather forecast, crews may adjust schedules to protect workers from the dangers of heat stress and cold stress. When working in extreme weather environments, all City workers, contractors, and subcontractors must follow Oregon’s OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) mandates and Environmental Services’ Heat Illness Safety and Health Plan and its Cold Stress Safety and Health Plan.

You may see crews taking more frequent water and rest breaks, stopping work at 12 p.m., and taking other protective measures during extreme weather.

What to Expect During Construction

A Safe Work Site —We want you to be safe around the work site. Please keep children, pets, bikes, cars, and trucks away from the tools, machines, supplies, and construction workers.
Noise, Vibration, and Dust —Construction creates noise, vibration, and dust and disrupts normal neighborhood activity.
Traffic Delays — The work will slow down traffic in your neighborhood. Please read the traffic signs and follow directions from the workers with flags.
Access to Your Home or Business —You will be able to go to your home or business, but you may not be able to park as close as you would like. We will try to make sure driveways and parking lot entrances stay open.
Parking Restrictions —We want you to be safe, so you might not be able to park your car next to workspaces, equipment, or materials. If crews are working directly in front of your home or a business, you may need to park in another place.
Equipment Storage —Sometimes we will leave tools, machines, and supplies on your street overnight. Please stay away from them.
Maintained Service —You can still use sewer, water, and other services while we work on your street.
Work Hours —Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Sometimes we work on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Schedule Changes and Inactivity — Our work schedules can change for many reasons like weather, traffic, and problems with tools, machines, or supplies. Sometimes we need to stop between different types of work and start again later.

What will the proposed project in 2025 look like?

The images below provide a general sense of what the finished restoration project may look like.

A graphic showing what the proposed restoration project will look like when complete. — *A graphic showing the proposed West Lents Floodplain Restoration Project when complete.*

a graphic diagram showing what the proposed completed project will look like in side view (known as a "section" view) — *Diagram showing what the proposed completed project will look like inside view (known as a "section" view).*

We Want to Hear from You

Environmental Services will inform residents and businesses about project activities and respond to questions and concerns in a timely manner. We encourage you to:

Project Webpage: Continue to visit www.portland.gov/WestLents for project details.
Questions? Please call or email city staff stating that West Lents Floodplain Restoration Project (E10993) is your area of concern. Outreach staff will return your call or email by the next business day.
Emergency Response: In the event of flooding or to report hazards in the area, call the Maintenance hotline immediately at 503-823-1700. It is staffed all hours and all days, 24/7.

Project Background

In the 1930’s, the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) partially straightened and rock-lined the banks of Johnson Creek in this area to try to reduce flooding. Unfortunately, these changes to the creek increased downstream flooding by disconnecting the creek from its floodplain. It also made the creek warmer by removing trees along the banks, and reduced habitat for endangered salmon, steelhead and other wildlife. In some places, untreated rainwater runoff from buildings and roads goes directly into the creek.

Environmental Services and its partners have been working for 25 years to address these issues and restore Johnson Creek. The West Lents Floodplain Restoration Project is a high priority for Environmental Services. It will help restore the floodplain, improve water quality, and provide habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife.

Project Goals

Below are planned improvements for the West Lents Floodplain Restoration Project:

Create space on city property to safely absorb the impacts of flooding.
Remove rock armoring from the streambanks and restore Johnson Creek to a natural channel.
Add wood to the channel and floodplain to enhance habitat complexity.
Establish native plant communities and public viewpoints.
Remove abandoned roadways and underground infrastructure.

Sign Up for Project Updates

Sign up for regular email or text message updates for the West Lents Floodplain Restoration Project through our free GovDelivery subscription service. These updates are the best way to stay informed about what’s happening and what to expect. You can also sign up for bulletins on other projects and topics.

This project will help protect the health of the Johnson Creek Watershed.