Metro uses helicopter to create fish-friendly logjams next to Mt. Hood Community College

On July 29, Metro used a helicopter and other heavy equipment to place logs in Beaver Creek on Mt. Hood Community College's (MHCC) campus as part of a habitat restoration project. 

A twin-motor Vertol helicopter carried logs from a staging ground in the natural area to the logjam sites. The work happened at Metro’s South Beaver Creek Natural Area, which runs alongside the Mt. Hood Community College campus. This project is being done in coordination with the Beaver Creek Conservation Partnership. Prior to the helicopter work, Metro also removed a concrete structure in the creek that was impeding water flow. This work is made possible by funding from the 2019 voter-approved parks and nature bond. 

Why create a logjam? 

Beaver Creek supports salmon, steelhead, and lamprey, all ocean-going fish that rely on cool, clean water. As young fish feed and grow large enough to journey to the Pacific Ocean, they need plenty of cool, shaded hiding places with slow-moving water. In the past, these refuges were created by large trees falling into creeks, creating logjams. Because of past land uses, these logjams haven’t formed often enough to support strong fish populations. Metro’s upcoming restoration project will help kick-start the jam-building process, quickly providing places for juvenile fish to shelter before heading to sea. 

About the Beaver Creek restoration project 

Once considered too urbanized and polluted to be worth trying to restore, Beaver Creek has become an inspiring story of what can happen when organizations collaborate. In 2012, Metro, Multnomah County, SOLVE, East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Sandy River Watershed Council came together to form the Beaver Creek Conservation Partnership. Other partners in restoration work include Multnomah County, the City of Gresham, the City of Troutdale, MHCC, Depave, East Multnomah Soil Water Conservation District, Portland Water Bureau, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, private landowners, and others. Work has included replacing fish-blocking culverts, planting creekside vegetation, acquiring and restoring land along the creek, and conducting regular monitoring of water quality and fish populations. As a result, Beaver Creek is beginning to see cleaner water and healthier fish and wildlife populations. More work still needs to be done, and much of it will require significant funding to complete, but the progress so far shows that even highly urbanized waterways can be restored.