About the Willamette River North Reach Project

What is the purpose of the Willamette River North Reach Project?

This project will update policies and regulations that apply to the North Reach area of the Willamette River and provide a framework that considers industrial, residential and recreational uses and their needs. The North Reach project will balance the area's role as an economic driver of the city with protection of natural resources and floodplains.

What is the Willamette River North Reach?

The North Reach project area extends north of the Fremont Bridge on the west side of the river and north of the Broadway Bridge on the east side. This area, also known as "Portland's Working Waterfront," has an abundance of river-dependent industrial uses.

View full size image of A map of the North Reach project boundary. The boundary runs along the edge of the Willamette River, north of the Fremont and Steel Bridges.

Why now?

The Willamette River is a defining feature in the City of Portland and State of Oregon. Oregon Statewide Planning Goal 15, Willamette River Greenway, requires that jurisdictions along the Willamette River "protect, conserve, enhance and maintain the natural, scenic, historical, agricultural, economic and recreational qualities of lands along the Willamette River." In 1987, the City of Portland adopted the Willamette Greenway Plan to manage the river and development along its shoreline, consistent with Statewide Planning Goal 15 requirements.

In the early 2000's, the City of Portland completed a planning effort that culminated in a long-term vision for the Willamette River. The City then developed and adopted the River Concept. This concept broke the Willamette River into three defined reaches – the North, Central and South reaches – and provided guidance on the vision for each of the reaches.

Building on guidance in the River Concept, the City initiated planning for the reaches, starting with the North Reach in the late 2000's. In 2010, City Council adopted the River Plan /North Reach but it was never implemented due to a successful appeal of some of the plan's proposals. Planning for the Central Reach was completed as part of the Central City 2035 Plan and planning for the South Reach was completed through the River Plan / South Reach.

The Willamette River North Reach Project provides an opportunity to revisit the policy guidance and applicable regulations for the area, including bringing the area's floodplain development regulations into conformance with evolving federal floodplain regulations.

Will floodplain development requirements be a part of the Willamette River North Reach Project?

The Willamette River North Reach Project will apply new floodplain development requirements to properties in the area. Implementation of these requirements will ensure that Portlanders continue to have access to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program. The National Flood Insurance Program provides flood insurance to properties with significant flood risk. To access the program, communities must adopt minimum floodplain management standards.

In 2016, the National Marine Fisheries Service issued an Endangered Species Act Biological Opinion on the National Flood Insurance Program. The Biological Opinion concluded that floodplain development enabled by the program impacts 16 threatened or endangered fish species in Oregon. The Biological Opinion directed FEMA to modify its requirements to preserve habitat and storage for flood waters when development occurs in the floodplain.

Since the release of the Biological Opinion in 2016, the City of Portland has been working to incorporate the necessary protections for threatened and endangered species into its codes. The City previously adopted Zoning Code updates as part of the River Plan / South Reach Plan (2020) and the Floodplain Resilience Plan (2023). In 2023 the City also adopted amendments to Title 24, Building Regulations, that increased flood storage requirements for the placement of buildings, soil and other fill material in the floodplain.

The Willamette River North Reach Project will continue to move forward the City's phased updates to floodplain development requirements. The project will incorporate floodplain habitat and flood storage requirements that contribute to the City's long-term compliance with the Biological Opinion.

Project timeline

• Ongoing (Starting in October 2025) – Site visits offered to confirm natural resources
• Spring 2026 – Early public engagement/finalization of project scope
• Spring 2027 (tentative) – Discussion Draft release for public review