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.
The simplified map below is a visual illustration of the work zone and shows details on planned trail and wetland improvements. 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 began in April 2024. Restoration work will be completed by the end of Spring 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?
While Environmental Services continues to monitor new tree growth and bird populations, subcontractors will conduct additional survey and mapping services in flood prone areas for the next two weeks. Survey mapping accurately measures the shape, height, and depth of earth’s surface. Knowing what’s on and under the Springwater restoration site is critically important to prevent flooding, pollution, as well as the loss of productive land.
Survey work requires hammering heavy-duty poles, wooden stakes, and flags into the ground to mark distances and record other findings. Work crews will also set-up protective yellow or orange fencing to shield nearby trees and plants. Stakes, flags, and other fencing equipment will be left onsite overnight. The traveling public is highly encouraged to stay away from these developing areas. Please stay alert to workers, equipment, minor changes to traffic, and you should anticipate delays during peak travel periods. Please see the look-ahead schedule below to plan accordingly.
All work is weather dependent, and subject to change due to contractor and subcontractor availabilities.
May 12 - 31:
*No construction work will be conducted on Monday, May 26 due to the observance of Memorial Day.
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, between SE 113th and 120th Avenues — Crews to complete boulder redistribution, nuisance plant removal, and handrail installation in Central and North wetlands. Environmental Services continues to monitor new tree and vegetation growth.
- SE 115th Avenue, near SE Ramona Court and Zenger area — Crews to perform additional survey, remapping, and install of protective fencing.
Please obey all traffic control signs and follow the directions of all flaggers.
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 habitat restoration sites, crews will need to access maintenance roads 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 preventing construction or directly located the public traveling lane, may be subject to damage or parking enforcement. On-site construction activities include transporting materials with industrial trucks, staging heavy-duty equipment, the use of high-pressure water hoses and vacuum excavators, landscaping and nuisance removal services, maintenance gateway repair or replacement, and the installation of safety boulders and security fencing.
To prevent hazard to belongings or standing vehicles, Environmental Services kindly advises the public on the following:
Parking Enforcement
- The city contractor is permitted to begin construction activities as early as 6 a.m. Please remove any items or vehicles you wish to keep before crew arrival.
- If the city contractor finds personal items in ROW or that block construction, crews will remove and dispose of the items accordingly.
- Private vehicles are subject to temporary removal, citation, or may be 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 (E07383) is your area of concern. Outreach staff will return your call or email by the next business day.
- Reporting an Emergency: In the event of 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
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This project will help protect the health of the Johnson Creek Watershed.