Project Area
The project area lies within the wetlands and natural areas along the Springwater Corridor Trail, from Beggar’s Tick Natural Area to Zenger Farm. The project is located on public property between SE 111th and 122nd Avenues, from SE Harold Street and SE Foster Road.
General Schedule
Construction began in April 2024. Restoration work will be completed before May 2025.
Construction work will 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?
Crews continue removal of soil that contains petroleum in the Central and North wetlands. Clean soil, gravel, and other fill materials will be transported from the West Lents restoration area to enhance habitats. This restoration work will help to stabilize trailways, raise the elevation of roads, and support the future development of land banks at Springwater.
Heavy construction traffic and high dust emissions to be expected. The traveling public should expect high volumes of large construction vehicles and trucks transporting soil, asphalt, equipment, and other building materials between the sister sites.
This work will restrict travel lanes, remove on-street parking temporarily, and may create traffic delays.
Rest of the Week:
Daytime work hours are Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following location:
- Springwater Trail Corridor, along SE 113th and SE 120th Avenues — Crews continue to remove contaminated soil and import clean backfill. Erosion and sediment control: crews to finish installation of culvert walls, fencing, and rock maintenance paths at Zenger Farms.
Culvert: A structure that directs excess water to a subterranean waterway. These cross-drains can relieve roadside drainage, allowing water to pass under a road at natural drainage and stream crossings
Weeks of October 14& 21:
Daytime work hours are Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following location:
- Springwater Trail Corridor, along SE 113th and SE 120th Avenues — Crews continue to remove contaminated soil and import clean backfill. Curb construction begins on trails and public roads. Upon completion, crews to finish installation of fencing, rock maintenance paths, and construction gate in North wetlands.
Crews will come and go to complete work in phases. There may be little to no activity for days or weeks between each phase.
All work is weather-dependent and subject to change due to contractor availability.
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
Construction creates noise, vibration, and dust and can temporarily disrupt normal neighborhood activity. We want you to be safe around the work site. Please keep all children, pets, bikes, cars, and trucks away from tools, machines, supplies, and construction workers.
A City inspector will be on-site during work hours and may be able to assist you with construction concerns. Inspectors typically wear a hard hat and safety vest with “City of Portland” on the back.
To learn more about what to expect during construction, please review the brief guide on what community can expect during ongoing projects conducted by Environmental Services.
Private Belongings in the Public Right-of-Way
To enter wetlands and restoration sites, crews will need to access and will work in the public right-of-way (ROW) — specifically between the curb and the edge of the sidewalk or public roadway up to your property line.
Vehicles, trailers, and other private belongings in ROW may be disturbed by construction activities. These activities include industrial trucks transporting building materials, staging equipment, building irrigation systems on-site, conducting various forms of soft and hard landscaping, and other forms of sustainable construction.
Traffic Advisory
- The City’s contractor is permitted to begin construction activities as early as 6 a.m. Environmental Services encourages the public to please remove any items or vehicles you wish to keep before crew arrival.
- If the City’s contractor finds personal items in ROW that block construction, crews will remove and dispose of the items.
- Private vehicles are subject to parking enforcement and can be cited and towed.
What You Need to Know
- 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.
- 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 work sites, equipment, or materials. If crews are working directly in front of your home or a business, you may need to park in another place. Additionally, all parked cars and private property located on city property must be removed, or risk lawful towing.
- Public Right-of-Way (ROW):Items in the right-of-way may be disturbed by removal services or construction. The following may be impacted: vehicles, trees; irrigation systems; hard landscaping (stone, concrete, steel, brick, pavers, garden boxes, edging, retaining walls, or other construction materials); soft landscaping (plants, shrubs, flowers, flower beds, grass, bark, etc.); and any other amenities that belong to you that are in ROW.
- Traffic Delays:This work will temporarily restrict some travel lanes and sidewalk crossings in work zones, removal of on-street parking, and may create traffic delays. Please obey all traffic control signs and follow the directions of flaggers.
- 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 work is being conducted on this project.
- 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.
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. The following resources will help you stay informed and report concerns:
- Project Webpage: Visit portland.gov/bes/SpringwaterWetlands for project details.
- Questions: Please call or email city staff stating that Springwater Wetlands and Floodplain Restoration Project is your area of concern. Outreach staff will return your call or email by the next business day.
- Sewer Emergency: In the event of a sewer backup or basement flooding, call the Maintenance hotline immediately at 503-823-1700. It is staffed all hours and all days, 24/7.
Project Background
The Springwater Wetlands and Floodplain Restoration Project will be Environmental Services' third floodplain project east of the I-205 Freeway in the Lents and Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhoods. The Brookside Wetlands Restoration Project was built in 1997. The Foster Floodplain Natural Area was completed in 2012. While those projects reduced local flooding and improved the health of Johnson Creek, more work is needed.
This project will restore publicly owned property. This project will hold more floodwater on public land to reduce flood risk to local homes and businesses. As part of the project, Environmental Services will update the National Flood Insurance Maps for the Johnson Creek Floodplain in this area.
Project Goals
- Reduce how often homes, businesses, and streets flood in the project area.
- Enhance habitat for sensitive wildlife.
- Improve the overall water quality of Johnson Creek.
How will this be done?
Environmental Services will make several changes in the wetlands to restore the natural areas and reduce flood risks. The project will:
- Add places on public property where flood water can go when Johnson Creek is high.
- Proper disposal of contaminated soil that contains petroleum.
- Remove nuisance and non-native plants and replace them with native plants.
- Build adequate trails for access and emergency response.
Sign Up for Project Updates
Sign up for weekly email or text message updates for Springwater Wetlands and 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.