SW Neighborhoods, Inc.

Have you ever wondered what happens to the rain falling on Interstate 5? Or the Fred Meyer parking lot?

The answer concerns an increasing number of neighbors who live in the Stephens Creek watershed, including Robin Vesey. A 2,000 foot-long culvert carries Stephens Creek under Fred Meyer and I-5, and drops it into neighbors’ backyards near her home.

Over 40% of the Stephens Creek watershed is covered by pavement or other hard surfaces that increase stormwater runoff, pollution and erosion in the creek. Invasive species and other threats to wildlife habitat round out the list of top watershed concerns
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The good news?
Throughout the watershed, projects are beginning to address these issues. The SW Texas Green Street (profiled in the June News), where Stephens Creek is just a trickle, was recently completed. The Friends of Stephens Creek Nature Park help steward a critical mid-watershed natural area. At the South Portland Riverfront, where the creek meanders and flows into the Willamette, Moorage community volunteers have helped restore habitat, and a BES project will begin this fall. Salmon use this part of Stephens Creek as a critical off-river refuge during migration.

Although large projects can have big impacts, neighbors play a vital role in improving water quality.

Car exhaust, grime, and other pollutants that fall on pavement in the I-5 and Barbur Blvd corridor enter Stephens Creek without treatment. Other pollution sources include runoff from residential areas of the watershed, which frequently carries pesticides, fertilizers, and unscooped pet waste. Stephens ranks 4th among the 23 Willamette subwatersheds in high bacteria levels.

Residents can do their part to reduce these factors and become part of the solution in their daily actions. But that doesn’t satisfy Vesey’s desire for “improving water quality and doing everything possible to [address] the untreated water runoff from I-5 and the Terwilliger Bridge.” She and other residents are interested in forming a group to address this and other needs throughout the watershed.

To get more information about Stephens Creek, meet other neighbors, and collaborate on innovative ideas and partnerships, please attend a roundtable meeting for Stephens Creek. It will be held Thursday, July 10 from 6:30-8:30 pm, outdoors on the picnic tables at the Fulton Park Community Center.