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Watershed Assesment
Discription
Watershed Conditions
Biological Communties
Watershed Problems and Opportunites
Identification of High Priority Areas
Targets and Objectives
Criteria Development
Proposed Projects and Actions
Protection Projects
Monitoring Projects
Public Outreach and Education Projects
Restoration Projects
Public Outreach
Action Plan Implementation
Roles and Responsibilities
Prioritizing and Sequencing
Monitoring and Adaptive Management
Funding Opportunities
This plan identifies and prioritizes projects and actions for the Johnson Creek Watershed Council (JCWC) and its watershed stakeholders to take in addressing watershed health problems and opportunities. The planning effort focuses on achieving the vision of a healthy, functional Johnson Creek watershed through development of a comprehensive Watershed Action Plan.
One of the main goals of the Watershed Action Plan is to identify, prioritize, and sequence specific projects and actions necessary to address factors limiting watershed health. The overall goal of the Action Plan is to protect, restore, and enhance the health and function of the Johnson Creek watershed.
The scope of the project included the following four tasks: 1) Information collection and analysis; 2) Public participation and landowner strategy development; 3) Criteria development and project/action prioritization; and 4) Compilation of action plan documents. A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) assisted with the development of the Watershed Action Plan.
There are a number of planning efforts focused on the Johnson Creek watershed and related to this Action Plan. These planning efforts were conducted to satisfy local, state, or federal requirements or were completed as part of other watershed planning and management activities by local agencies, regional governments, or cooperating organizations. This Watershed Action Plan incorporates information from these plans and summarizes the problems and opportunities found throughout the entire Johnson Creek watershed.
The Johnson Creek watershed assessment highlights and summarizes the most important and up-to-date information available for the basin. Many studies have previously been completed on various watershed functions and elements within the Johnson Creek watershed. The watershed assessment summerizes the results of these studies. The assessment also identifies key problems or factors limiting watershed health and aims to initiate discussion about the sources and conditions of these problems. The assessment also suggests opportunities for protecting, restoring, and enhancing watershed functions.
The watershed assessment provides a general description of the watershed, highlights the human and built environmental conditions, and summarizes the current conditions and four main attributes for watershed and river health. These attributes are: 1) stream flow and hydrology; 2) physical habitats; 3) water quality; and 4) biological communities.
Located on the east side of the greater Portland Metropolitan region, Johnson Creek originates in Clackamas County, east of Boring, Oregon, and flows westward approximately 25 miles to its confluence with the Willamette River. The Johnson Creek drainage basin encompasses approximately 34,000 acres or about 54 square miles. The mostly urban watershed is contained within six local jurisdictional entities including Clackamas and Multnomah Counties, and the cities of Gresham, Happy Valley, Milwaukie, and Portland. A recent City of Portland assessment of the watershed divided the basin into reaches defined as the main stem Johnson Creek (lower, middle, and upper); and the following major tributaries: Crystal Springs Creek; Kelley Creek; Butler Creek; Hogan Creek; Sunshine Creek; and Badger Creek. In addition, Minthorn or Spring Creek discharges into Johnson Creek within the city of Milwaukie (see Figure 1 (PDF, 249 KB) in Chapter 2 - Watershed Assessment).
Elevations in the watershed generally range between 0 to 1,100 feet above mean sea level. Slopes are highly variable and range generally between 1 to 25 percent. Soils in the watershed are primarily Multnomah and Latourell-Urban Land Complex (Type B hydrologic group) or Cascade Silt Loam (Type C hydrologic group).
The Johnson Creek watershed is highly developed. A mix of land use is present varying from heavily developed urban areas in the lower and middle reaches of the watershed to rural residential and agricultural in the upper watershed. Current land use (2003) in the basin reveals single family residential makes up the largest acreage and percentage at approximately 13,400 acres or 39%
In the agricultural areas of the upper watershed, 50% of the land base is currently used for cultivated crops or pastures, and another 29% is used for tree and ornamental plant nurseries, greenhouses, or Christmas tree plantations (Reininga and Davis, 1994). The Springwater Corridor Trail is a key recreational facility in the watershed, extending more than 16 miles and occupying a former railroad right-of-way paralleling Johnson Creek for much of its length.
The urban growth boundary (UGB) for the Portland metropolitan region passes through the Johnson Creek watershed. About 72% of its 34,000 acres or approximately 24,000 acres of the watershed lies within the UGB (Meross, 2000). Approximately 170,000 residents currently reside within the watershed. In 1997, Metro approved the 2040 Regional Growth Plan that will accommodate a population increase of 1.1 million new residents in the region by 2040. Comprehensive planning is currently underway in Pleasant Valley, the Springwater area east of Gresham, and the Damascus area to the south.
Much of the two lower sections of Johnson Creek (15 miles) are deeply channelized and confined. Most of the channelization, designed to control flooding, is the product of depression-era public works agencies, primarily the Civil Works Administration and the Works Projects Administration (WPA). At several locations along the stream, a new course was created and the stream channel was straightened, deepened, and simplified. Dikes were constructed to contain and control the stream at high flow. Beginning in 1933, streamside vegetation was removed, and the dikes and streambed were armored with basalt rocks.
Johnson Creek is a low gradient stream that drops approximately 700 feet over its course. The average gradient along the mainstem is 0.5 percent. Land uses, piping of flow, and the addition of impervious surfaces highly impact flow patterns in the watershed. General hydrologic patterns in Johnson Creek are driven by patterns of rainfall and groundwater inflow. High flows normally occur in December, January, and February in response to abundant precipitation and high amounts of runoff as soils become saturated through the rainy season. Summer low flows in July, August, and September reflect minimal groundwater contributions to streamflow throughout the watershed. A 1984 study of the effects of development and resultant impervious surfaces on peak flows in Johnson Creek (Clement, 1984) concluded that for a storm of a given size the peak flow under 1980 conditions was 30 percent greater than under 1940 conditions. However, peak flow frequency at the Sycamore streamflow gauge (River Mile 10.2) shows no discernable upward trend over the last 60 years (See Figure 5 (PDF, 14 KB) in Chapter 2 – Watershed Assessment).
Bankfull discharges at the Sycamore gauge are around 867 cubic feet-per-second (cfs) and occur about 3 times per year. Flood stage is reached at a flow of around 1,080-cfs, which occurs on average about 1.8 times per year. Major floods correspond to flows of 1,650 cfs, which has occurred about once every 3-4 years. Flooding events primarily affect four areas within Portland: 1) Tideman-Johnson Park at SE 45th; 2) the area west of SE 82nd; 3) the Lents area; and 4) lower Powell Butte.
Johnson Creek suffers from a low baseflow during the late spring/early summer through early fall season. Some of the tributaries dry up during the summer periods and the velocity and volume of baseflows in the main stem Johnson Creek become minimal. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has set minimum flow targets to protect salmonids in Johnson Creek (Meross, 2000). Flows in the middle and upper watershed frequently do not meet those minimum flows, particularly in spring and summer months. Below spring-fed Crystal Springs, which provides consistent and abundant year-round flow, minimum instream flows are typically met.
The Portland ESA Program assessed baseline conditions for flow and hydrology indicators in Johnson Creek. The following indictors were rated as not properly functioning: hydrograph, hydrologic sources, and floodplain presence and connectivity. The impervious surfaces indicator was rated as at-risk. These indicators and their assessed baseline condition compared to properly functioning conditions were incorporated into an Ecosystem Diagnosis & Treatment (EDT) model.
The Johnson Creek watershed contains a mosaic of vegetation types, including agricultural lands, urban and suburban landscapes, upland forests, riparian woodlands, and wetlands. Remnants of predevelopment vegetation are rare, as a result of extensive logging and clearing (Portland Bureau of Planning, 2001).
The forest that historically covered the Johnson Creek watershed ridges and lowlands was mostly cleared in the early 1900s for agriculture, timber production, and urban uses. Forest clearing of second growth has increased dramatically in recent years as housing development expanded from the lowlands onto the ridges and hillside slopes. Presently, about 57% of the watershed is vegetated (City of Portland, 2001). The Johnson Creek watershed straddles the border between the Willamette Valley vegetation zone and the Western Hemlock zone. The upland forest community exhibits characteristics common to both zones. The Boring Lava Domes area is more heavily forested than most of the watershed.
The Lava Domes forest generally ranges from 40 to 100-year old second growth stands in a mid-successional stage referred to as conifer topping hardwood. Certain areas in the watershed, however, contain much older forest stands with tree diameters reaching five feet or more (Portland Bureau of Planning, 1998). Upland forests in the watershed are typically comprised of a mixed conifer/deciduous forest with western red cedar (Thuja plicata), bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), frequently occurring as dominant tree species. Dominant shrubs in the forest community include vine maple (Acer circinatum), western hazel (Corylus cornuta), Indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis), and snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus). Common herbaceous plants include western sword fern (Polystichum munitum), Oregon grape (Mahonia sp.), and fringecup (Tellima grandiflora).
No accurate estimate of the total acreage of wetlands in the watershed prior to European settlement exists but anecdotal sources indicate that there has been a substantial reduction. The remaining wetlands are extremely diverse in nature, and include forested, scrub-shrub, emergent, wet meadows, and open water (aquatic) vegetation types. Wetlands within the watershed range in size from the 19-acre Beggars Tick marsh in the Lents area, to numerous diminutive emergent wetlands in the basin of less than a tenth of an acre (Adolfson, 2000). Several of the larger wetlands within the watershed contain intact native vegetation and have moderately mature, mid - to late successional vegetative communities. However, many of the wetlands in the watershed have non-native and invasive plant species that dominate most or all of the wetlands.
Two major groups of wetlands exist within the watershed: The first group of wetlands are those associated directly with the hydrology of Johnson Creek and its tributaries. The second major group of wetlands are small hydrologic systems in and of themselves that either drain into Johnson Creek directly or contribute to the creek’s annual flow through groundwater recharge. Many wetlands in the basin have good connectivity with undeveloped open space, upland habitats, and the Johnson Creek riparian corridor. Several; significant areas of wildlife breeding and nesting are found in wetlands within the basin with dense breeding populations of amphibians, including red-legged frogs (Adolfson, 2000).
The riparian corridor along Johnson Creek and its tributaries varies in width, from extensive vegetated areas over 600 feet in width to reaches with little or no vegetation along the bank. The most extensive vegetated riparian areas in the drainage basin are in smaller headwater creeks in the Boring Hills south of Powell Butte on either side of the Gresham/Portland urban services boundary (Portland Bureau of Planning, 2001). On the mainstem, reaches 12 and 16 and parts of 13 and 14 have the largest forested riparian areas. The tributaries with the most heavily forested riparian areas are Mitchell, Badger, Sunshine, and Deardorf/Wahoo Creeks. Crystal Springs and the lower reaches of Johnson Creek (near the Milwaukie/Portland boundary) have the least extensive riparian vegetation. The headwater streams flowing through rural and agricultural lands in the upper watershed have very little riparian vegetation. Riparian areas within the Johnson Creek watershed consist primarily of mixed forest with some coniferous forest and shrub areas. Riparian vegetation is either narrow, minimal or lacking throughout much of the watershed. Generally, existing riparian vegetation consists of areas dominated by blackberry or young native plants and lack large mature trees.
The channelization of Johnson Creek has had a significant impact on the quality of instream physical habitat. Because the historic floodplain of Johnson Creek is disconnected or minimally connected through much of its length flood flows cannot spread out and attenuate on the floodplain. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) conducted aquatic habitat inventories throughout Johnson Creek during 1999-2000. The ODFW findings generally indicate that Johnson Creek has extremely low wood volumes instream, particularly large wood necessary for pool formation. This is due to a lack of large, mature riparian trees and active removal of wood debris from the creek by citizens and staff from city agencies trying to prevent obstruction of flows downstream (McConnaha, 2002). ODFW also found a high percentage of hardened banks, lack of refugia through many reaches, channel incision, and high levels of fine sediment. ODFW found that glides, which are generally uncommon in natural, healthy creeks, are widespread throughout the creek. This is an indication of the quality of instream habitat and is likely due to the deficiency of instream wood, a key element in breaking glides into pools and riffles.
The habitat assessment of Kelley Creek reveals that there are a few small sections of higher quality habitat, while much of the creek is impacted or degraded. Most impacts are due to the lack of high quality riparian habitat and large quantity of stormwater draining the creek as a result of tiling and other agricultural practices (ODFW 2000, BES 2001). Crystal Springs Creek habitat is degraded as well. Much of the creek has been channelized and lacks healthy riparian buffers.
The Portland ESA Program assessed baseline conditions for habitat indicators in Johnson Creek. These indicators and their associated baseline conditions were then compared to properly functioning conditions. The following habitat indicators were rated as not properly functioning: floodplain quality, riparian integrity, channel substrate, off-channel habitat, large wood, shoreline complexity, and fish passage/access. Habitat attributes that were rated at risk included depth refugia, and harassment. These habitat attributes were incorporated into an EDT model.
Numerous water quality studies have been conducted throughout the Johnson Creek watershed. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) rates Johnson Creek water quality as poor. DEQ has been monitoring Johnson Creek at SE 17th Avenue since 1990, and the agency rates Johnson Creek water quality as poor. At this location, Johnson Creek is impacted by very high concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen, and high concentrations of total phosphates, fecal coliform bacteria, total solids, and biochemical oxygen demand. The Cities of Portland and Gresham, the United States Geological Survey, and Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) have collected data on water quality in Johnson Creek. The key water quality problems are as follows:
From an analysis of one year of data it appears that the number of total days with maximum temperatures above 20 degrees C increases when moving downstream. Kelley Creek had the fewest days above 20 degrees C (McConnaha, 2002). Maximum temperatures collected by the City of Portland ranged from 15.8 to 24.3 degrees C with a mean maximum of 18.2 degrees C. Although it is fed by cool groundwater springs, Crystal Springs Creek has warmer summer and wintertime temperatures than Johnson Creek. DEQ has developed a draft Total Maximum Daily Load for Johnson Creek’s temperature.
While some studies reveal that oxygen levels in Johnson Creek do not generally fall below water quality standards, levels do decrease in the middle, flat section of the creek, possibly a result of the addition of oxygen depleted groundwater in the area. Minimum dissolved oxygen (DO) values, collected by the City of Portland, ranged from 5.5 to 9.8 mg/L with a mean value of 7.84 mg/L. A number of these concentrations do not meet the state water quality standard for Johnson Creek. The standard varies according to season and location, but generally requires DO levels between 8 and 11 mg/L.
Routine monitoring by both Portland and Gresham have revealed high bacteria levels throughout the Johnson Creek watershed. Data suggest that the bacteria levels exceed water quality standards for E. coli bacteria. E.coli water quality standards are as follows: A 30-day log mean of 126 E. coli organisms per 100mL, based on a minimum of five samples, and no single sample shall exceed 406 E. coli organisms per 100mL.
A number of studies of nutrient levels in Johnson Creek show high levels of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) at various locations. Nitrate levels were found to increase downstream and particularly where there is low flow. Nitrate levels are also high in Crystal Springs, likely a result of leaching from septic tanks and input from the duck pond in Westmoreland Park (McConnaha, 2002). Johnson Creek is not currently listed by DEQ as polluted with nutrients.
Turbidity has been monitored during both high and low flow conditions in Johnson Creek. Relatively high turbidity levels were measured during both high and low flow conditions most likely as a result of bank erosion, erosion from roadside ditches, runoff from construction activities, and agricultural and nursery operations. Turbidity levels appear to be higher in upper portions of the watershed indicating that sedimentation begins and sources are most likely originating in the upper watershed (Gresham, 2001).
Johnson Creek has elevated levels of many metals and is classified as a “waterbody of concern” by the DEQ due to elevated levels of copper, chromium, and nickel in water and sediments. Higher levels of copper and zinc are found when flows are high, most likely a result of runoff into the creek. Generally, metals concentrations increase downstream. When flows are high Johnson Creek may also be a source for chromium, copper, mercury, and zinc in the Willamette River (McConnaha, 2002).
The City of Gresham conducted storm event water quality sampling at four locations within Johnson Creek during 2000-2001. Results reveal extremely poor water quality conditions at Palmblad Road (upstream jurisdictional boundary).
In general, water quality in Johnson Creek is considered poor. In 1998, Johnson Creek was placed on the 303(d) list by DEQ for bacteria, summer temperature, and toxics (DDT and Dieldrin). In addition, DEQ proposed adding PCB’s and PAH’s to the 2002 303(d) list. The 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies includes Johnson Creek from the mouth to its headwaters. DEQ is currently developing a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Johnson Creek watershed. The TMDL is expected to be completed in December 2003.
The Portland ESA Program assessed baseline conditions for water quality indicators in Johnson Creek. These indicators and their assessed baseline condition compared to properly functioning conditions were incorporated into an EDT model. Both temperature and thermal refugia indicators were rated as not properly functioning. The following three water quality indicators were rated at risk: eutrophication, toxic materials, and sediment.
As part of the Lower Columbia River Evolutionary Significant Unit, steelhead trout and Chinook salmon are listed as threatened in Johnson Creek under the ESA. The City of Portland in 1992, and ODFW in 1993, conducted surveys of the fish community in Johnson Creek. The fish community is dominated by species tolerant of warm water and disturbed conditions, particularly redside shiners, reticulate sculpin, and speckled dace (McConnaha 2002, JCCC 1995). Large-scale suckers are abundant in the lower reaches.
Johnson Creek historically had large salmon populations. Numbers declined dramatically once urbanization began and particularly after the channelization work was completed (McConnaha, 2002). However, adult salmonids have been observed in recent years, including: coho salmon, Chinook salmon, cutthroat trout, and steelhead (ODFW unpublished data, as cited in Portland BES, 1999). Coastal subspecies of cutthroat trout are also present in Johnson Creek. This coastal subspecies has both sea-run and resident forms.
In 2001, ODFW and the City of Portland’s ESA program
began a project to inventory fish communities within Johnson Creek to determine
salmonid presence, life history, and habitat usage throughout the watershed
(Graham and Ward, 2002). Fish surveys were conducted in eight Portland streams
including Crystal Springs, Johnson, and Kelley Creeks. Johnson Creek had the
highest number of families including salmonids, lamprey, cottids, cyprinids,
and centrarchids. Johnson Creek had both cutthroat trout and rainbow/steelhead.
Coho salmon were only found in Johnson Creek. Lampreys were limited to reaches
8, 14, and 16 within Johnson Creek. Lampreys were most abundant in Kelley Creek.
A total of 131 non-native fish were collected and identified, all from the lowest
reach of each stream (Graham and Ward, 2002).
In 2000-2001, a multijurisdictional effort identified and assessed a total of 226 structures which could pose fish passage barriers in the Johnson Creek watershed, including culverts, dams, and bridges. Nineteen culverts were inventoried within Portland and a total of 39 structures (16 of which were culverts) within Gresham. Although there are no culverts on the mainstem until the upper reaches of the watershed, they are present on nearly all the tributaries to Johnson Creek. Due to timing restrictions on federal grant fund programs and other constraints, the jurisdictions completed only the first phase of the inventory. Additional assessment will be required to finalize the culvert prioritization process.
Refuge areas for fish consist of both chemical and thermal refugia as well as structural and biotic. Currently, fish usage within the Johnson Creek watershed is not fully documented. The following areas currently contain salmonids and lamprey:
Lower Kelley and Hogan Creeks |
Steelhead |
Crystal Springs Creek |
Rainbow/Steelhead |
Lower and Upper Kelley, Johnson Creek Reach 16 |
Cutthroat trout* |
Lower Crystal Springs Creek, Johnson Creek Reaches 1 and 2 |
Coho spawners |
Johnson Creek Reach 1 and 2 |
Chinook |
Kelley Creek, Crystal Springs Creek, and Johnson Creek Reaches 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 |
Lamprey |
* Cutthroat trout are likely in other areas of Johnson Creek and its tributaries.
More information is needed on Benthic Macroinvertebrates to accurately characterize the existing populations. During 1999, PSU conducted the only known study on macroinvertebrates in Johnson Creek. The results of the study found that benthic communities are degraded in comparison to regional reference creeks within the same ecoregion (Hoy 2001; Pan et al., 2001; Walker 2001). As expected, macroinvertebrate assemblages were significantly different between the urban and rural streams. Mean richness of total number of taxa, and number of Ephemeroptera, Plecopetera, and Tricoptera (EPT) in the two urban streams were significantly lower than those in the rural streams.
While no exhaustive database of information exists on wildlife resources and their habitats throughout the watershed, studies in other watersheds of similar composition suggest that the diversity of wildlife species in the watershed has been significantly reduced. Anecdotal information indicates that the large mammal population includes black-tailed deer, limited cougars, and coyotes. Birds are the most abundant wildlife forms living in urban and rural areas within the watershed. Sensitive species known to occur in the riparian areas of Johnson Creek include three salamander species (long-toed, northwestern, and Columbia), two frog species, and one toad species. Painted turtles have been identified in the upper watershed. Other species known to exist include great horned owls, red-legged frogs, and hawks.
The strategy for protecting and restoring the Johnson Creek watershed is to protect the remaining high quality habitats first, and then restore remaining areas using a prioritized approach. Opportunities are watershed conditions or features that are currently in a healthy, properly functioning condition and that are considered key to sustaining important watershed functions. Problems or challenges are watershed conditions or features that are not properly functioning or that contribute to impairment of watershed health. Fixing problems and restoring functioning conditions within the watershed requires an assessment of limiting factors including data needs.
Baseline conditions from historical and recent studies were utilized in conjunction with an Ecosystem Diagnosis and Treatment (EDT) model to assess current and future conditions within the Johnson Creek watershed. The EDT model method was designed to provide a practical, science-based approach to develop and implement watershed management plans. Salmonid biological performance is utilized and defined by three elements—life history diversity, productivity, and capacity. These elements of performance are characteristics of the ecosystem that describe persistence, abundance, and distribution potential of a population (Mobrand Biometrics, 2002). Much of the EDT modeling performed by Mobrand Biometrics and the City of Portland’s ESA Program to date has focused on coho salmon. Preliminary results for steelhead have also recently been completed, though not in time to provide significant data for this assessment.
The EDT Modeling project identified the following eight key limiting factors that are most critical for coho salmon in the Johnson Creek watershed:
In addition, high bacteria levels throughout the watershed are considered problematic and should also be considered a high priority.
To begin focusing the restoration efforts of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council, high priority areas were defined and include:
For each of the four functional goals of hydrology and flow, physical habitat, water quality, and biological communities, objectives were developed specific to the area. Each objective has one or more indicators that can be used to measure existing function. Targets were set for the indicators based on the desired level of function and the constraints of the priority reach.
The types of projects to be considered and ranked were divided into four distinct categories based on the nature of the project. The four project categories are:
Several holistic or big-picture concepts were utilized up front to drive the process of criteria development. These involved: 1) prioritize protection over restoration; 2) rely on the Ecosystem Diagnostic and Treatment (EDT) modeling results for identifying or characterizing limiting factors, properly functioning conditions, and core habitat areas; and 3) rank restoration projects on watershed health scores and rank other project types by the sum of watershed health scores and the socio/economic scores.
The criteria are divided into two general categories: one for watershed health, and the second for social and economic considerations. Criteria points are assigned (0, 1, 3, or 5) depending on how effectively the project addresses the criteria. The total points for both watershed health criteria and social and economic criteria were totaled together and than averaged to determine the overall ranking for monitoring and data management, protection (policies and programs), and public outreach and education projects. Restoration projects were ranked based only on the total watershed health score but the social and economic criteria scores are provided in Appendix I to allow for additional evaluation. Please see Chapter 4 in the Action Plan for more details on the criteria.
Twenty-five projects related to the protection of functions from further degradation including land use, advocacy, policy, transportation, and planning projects were identified by TAC members, stakeholders, and the public. The following protection projects were evaluated against the criteria and ranked as the top tier projects (Table ES-1). See Appendix I (PDF, 119 KB) for a complete listing of protection projects and individual ranking scores.
Table ES-1 Top Tier Protection (Policies and Programs) Projects
| Project Title |
Location |
Project Description |
| Implementation Code for the Springwater Concept Plan |
Upper Johnson Creek |
Creation of concept and implementation plans for land use code, street network, public facilities plan, annexation plan, and natural resources protection, restoration and enhancement plan. Ensure that code is adopted and implemented. |
| Clackamas County Water Environment Services (WES) New Development Standards |
Clackamas County Service District (CCSD) #1 |
Implement CCSD #1 R&R: Erosion control which provides for a comprehensive, district wide erosion and construction site pollutant control program; provide training and other support as needed. |
| New Development Standards – actions under Portland’s MS4 permit |
Lower and Middle Johnson Cr |
Implement City Code Title 10: Erosion Control, which provides a comprehensive, citywide erosion and construction site pollutant control program; provide training and other support as needed. |
| Implementation Code for the Damascus Concept Plan |
Johnson Creek tributaries |
Creation of concept and implementation plans for land use code, street network, public facilities plan, annexation plan, and natural resources protection, restoration and enhancement plan. Ensure that code is adopted and implemented. |
| Implementation Code for the Pleasant Valley Concept Plan |
Kelley Cr. |
Creation of concept and implementation plans for land use code, street network, public facilities plan, annexation plan, and natural resources protection, restoration and enhancement plan. Ensure that code is adopted and implemented. |
| Illicit Discharges Controls – actions under MS4 permit |
Watershed Wide |
Implement all elements of the Illicit Discharge Elimination Program to prevent, search for, detect, and control illicit discharges to the MS4; continue to evaluate existing properties and non-stormwater discharges. |
| Healthy Portland Streams |
Lower and Middle Johnson Creek |
Environmental Zone remapping and code revision to ensure that environmental zoning adequately protects streams, wetlands, riparian areas and uplands and that restoration efforts are promoted. |
| Metro Goal 5 |
Watershed Wide |
Fish and wildlife protection regulation including uplands and restoration opportunities. |
| Stormwater Master Plan |
Kelley Cr. |
Create Master Plan to accompany the Public Facilities Plan for stormwater. Determine appropriate size and design for conveyance swales and regional stormwater management facilities. Determine appropriate location and release rates for stormwater management. |
| Implementation and restoration of ESRA’s |
Kelley Cr. |
Develop plans and/or programs to protect those areas of the Environmentally Sensitive Resource Areas (ESRA) that are not protected by environmental zoning and to address potential takings involved where properties have lost all development potential. Also, develop plans and or programs to revegetate. |
| Other Activities – actions under MS4 |
Lower and Middle JC |
Continue implementation of the Stormwater Monitoring Plan. Continue program management evaluation and reporting activities. |
| Three Bridges Project |
Lower Johnson Cr. |
Extend the Springwater Corridor by building three bridges, one over Johnson Cr., one over McLoughlin Blvd., and one over Union Pacific RR. |
| Fallen Tree Policy |
Lower and Middle JC |
Develop City policy for dealing with fallen trees in creeks. When to remove, where to place, and how to protect. |
Thirteen projects intended to improve understanding of watershed functions including monitoring, modeling, and database management were identified by TAC members, stakeholders, and the public. The following monitoring, modeling, and data management projects were evaluated against the criteria and ranked as the top tier projects (Table ES-2). See Appendix I (PDF, 119KB) for a complete listing of monitoring and database management projects and individual ranking scores.
Table ES-2 Top Tier Monitoring Projects
| Project Title |
Location |
Project Description |
| Sediment Monitoring |
Upper Johnson Cr |
Conduct Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Turbidity monitoring to identify point and nonpoint pollution sources. |
| TMDL Bacteria |
Watershed Wide |
Baseline monitoring of E.coli bacteria levels at eight locations along Johnson Cr. to support establishment and implementation of TMDLs. |
| Toxics Source ID |
Watershed Wide |
Identification of sources of toxics. |
| Cutthroat Trout EDT Modeling |
Watershed Wide |
Cutthroat Trout EDT Model Results. |
| Fishery Survey |
Tributaries |
Additional fish surveys to determine presence and extent of use of all tributary streams. |
| Fish Passage Barriers Inventory |
Watershed Wide |
Complete inventory of passage barriers to include private lands; characterize severity and rank. |
| Upland habitat and wildlife resources |
Watershed Wide |
Characterize upland habitat problems and opportunities. |
| Upland watershed tributary habitat and water quality |
Upper JC |
Characterize habitat and water quality conditions in upper watershed tributaries; focus on tributaries suspect to provide refuge; collect similar level of data available for Kelley and Crystal Springs Cr. |
| Vegetative Monitoring |
Watershed Wide |
Create volunteer structure to monitor revegetation sites for water quality, habitat, and other objectives. |
| Water Rights Information |
Watershed Wide |
Locate legal and illegal water rights information including diversions and quantify the extent of water withdrawals. |
| Outfall discharge characterization |
Watershed Wide |
GPS specific outfall locations and collect and characterize pollutant loading information. |
| Fish Passage |
Watershed Wide |
Prioritization of fish passage barrier removal/replacement within the entire watershed (may supercede other proposed fish passage projects). |
| ID specific WPA locations and conditions |
Lower and Middle JC |
GPS specific locations of bank and channel lining and condition. |
| Operations and Maintenance |
Lower and Middle Johnson Cr. |
Review and enhance the implementation of a Stormwater Maintenance Program that includes elements needed to successfully maintain and enhance performance of MS4 conveyance and treatment facilities within the City’s urban services boundary. |
| Johnson Cr. Ambient Monitoring |
Watershed Wide |
Baseline monitoring of Johnson Cr. to support TMDL process. Include chemical, physical, and biological parameters. |
| Identification of Fish Refugia Areas |
Watershed Wide |
Identify fish refugia area that provide cool waters or conditions that support areas for avoiding hot spots, or chemicals. |
Nine projects intended to inspire stewardship behavior including public outreach
and education were identified by TAC members, stakeholders, and the public. Ranking
of Public Outreach and Education Projects are included in Table ES-3. See Appendix
I (PDF, 119 KB) for a complete listing of monitoring and database management projects
and individual ranking scores.
Table ES-3 Top Tier Public Outreach and Education Projects
| Project Title |
Location |
Project Description |
| Lower Willamette Enhanced Agricultural Water Quality Rule Implementation |
Upper Johnson Cr |
Coordinate with East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District (EMSWCD), Clackamas County Soil & Water Conservation District (CCSWCD), and the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) to enhance education and technical assistance programs towards meeting WQ Management Area rules and minimize need for enforcement and fines. |
| Landowner Outreach |
Upper Johnson Cr Reaches 17-18 |
Contact all landowners in these reaches, especially in the confluence area of N.F. Johnson Cr., Badger Cr., and Sunshine Cr. ID and prioritize all project opportunities in this high priority area. Apparent large-scale project opportunities for channel reconstruction, floodplain, wetland reclamation, addition of large wood structure, revegetation, etc. Plan and implement pilot project to initiate interest. |
| Community Restoration Project |
Middle Johnson Cr |
Work with private property owners to restore creek and riparian area to provide flood storage and improve habitat and water quality. |
| Construction BMPs |
Watershed Wide |
Offer assistance to regulatory agencies, builders and developers, to ensure adequate erosion prevention and sediment control and other construction site BMPs. |
| Public Involvement and Participation Program |
Watershed Wide |
Implement a comprehensive stormwater/watershed Public Participation Program that includes information, education, involvement, and stewardship. |
| Car trip reduction |
Watershed Wide |
Reduce car trips in watershed through education program in order to reduce petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons and other pollutant levels. |
| Signage Program |
Watershed Wide |
Develop an educational signage program for stormwater treatment facilities, creek crossings, and other sensitive areas, and along Springwater Corridor. |
| Annual Watershed Report |
Watershed Wide |
Annually monitor, report, and publicize stream health and status report by subwatershed. |
| Exotic Fish Education |
Watershed Wide |
Develop and disseminate educational program on exotic fishes and ID potential areas for removal. |
Fifty-three projects focused on restoration and enhancement of watershed functions including revegetation, habitat improvement or recovery, floodplain connectivity and flow management, etc. were identified by TAC members, stakeholders, and the public. Restoration projects were ranked by Total Watershed Health Scores. Total Social/Economic Scores were ranked and summarized only for informational purposes. Ranking of the top tier Restoration Projects are included in Table ES-4. See Figure 15 (PDF, 784 KB) for the location of the highly ranked restoration projects. See Appendix I (PDF, 119 KB) for a complete listing of monitoring and database management projects, their limiting factors that are addressed, targeted areas that the project benefits, and their individual ranked scores.
Table ES-4 Top Tier Restoration Projects
| Project Title |
Location |
Project Description |
| Reed Branch Habitat Restoration/Fish Passage |
Crystal Springs |
Replacement of culvert at 28th Avenue; Large wood placement upstream in Reed Canyon. Revegetation in Reed Canyon for temperature reduction; this is a possible subsurface channel. |
| Alsop/Brownwood Flood Mitigation and Habitat Restoration |
Middle Johnson Cr |
Create flood storage to mitigate nuisance flooding. Create off-channel habitat for salmonids and water quality improvements. |
| Kelley Cr. Confluence flood mitigation/ habitat improvements |
Middle Johnson Cr/Kelley Creek |
Create flood storage to mitigate nuisance flooding. Create off-channel habitat for salmonids and water quality improvements. |
| Tideman Johnson/Errol Heights Flood Mitigation |
Lower Johnson Cr Reach 4-5 |
Purchase frequent flooded properties and create flood storage to mitigate nuisance flooding. Rehabilitate over 50-acres of wetlands. Create off-channel habitat for salmonids and water quality improvement. |
| SE 7th Street |
Middle Johnson Cr Reach 15 |
Develop two wetlands, reconnect floodplain, remove invasives, and stabilize bank and toe. |
| Main City Park Improvements (B) |
Upper Johnson Cr at Main City Park Reach 15-16 |
Implement Master Plan. Large project with channel reconstruction, daylighting a tributary, wetland and floodplain creation. |
| West Lents Flood Mitigation |
Middle Johnson Creek |
Create flood storage to mitigate nuisance flooding. Create off-channel habitat for salmon and water quality improvement. Purchase frequently flooded properties to move people out of the floodplain. |
| Freeway Land Company Flood Mitigation |
Middle Johnson Creek |
Create flood storage to mitigate nuisance flooding. Create off-channel habitat for salmon and water quality improvement. |
| Springwater Wetlands Complex |
Middle Johnson Creek |
Create and restore wetlands habitat for flood storage, aquatic and wildlife habitat, and water quality improvement. |
| East Lents South of Foster Flood Mitigation |
Middle Johnson Creek |
Create flood storage to mitigate nuisance flooding. Create off-channel habitat for salmon and water quality improvement. Purchase homes to move residents out of floodplain. |
| Habitat Restoration |
Kelley Creek (Mitchell to mouth); Richey through Bliss property |
Large wood placement/enhancement of instream habitat complexity and floodplain connectivity/revegetation. |
| SW 14th Street Riparian Corridor |
Butler Creek and Upper JC Reach 15 |
Control erosion by re-grading banks of JC and install soil bioengineering. Remove invasive and install natives. Add large wood. Address streambank instability and erosion. |
| Main City Park Improvements (A) |
Middle Johnson Cr Reach 15 |
Remove island and dig out a pond and create wetland for flood storage, remove invasives and plant natives. |
| Westmoreland Park Improvements |
Crystal Springs |
Master planning effort to create a variety of habitat enhancements, including establishing Crystal Spring’s channel and revegetation the banks to create a more naturalistic riparian edge. Other improvements may include adding boardwalks and viewpoints. |
| Habitat Restoration |
Reach 17 |
Restore channel with large wood. Enhance instream habitat complexity and floodplain connectivity and revegetate. |
Community investment is a cornerstone of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council’s effort to protect and enhance the Johnson Creek Watershed. The Council will be requesting investment of time and resources from community agencies and organizations as well as individuals to implement the actions identified in this plan. JCWC staff, committees and board worked with Adolfson Associates, Inc. and subcontractor Jeanne Lawson Associates, Inc. to develop a public outreach plan (see Appendix G (PDF, 15 KB)) to provide opportunities for public involvement in the development of this Action Plan.
This involvement was accomplished through five major avenues:
As a community based organization, the Johnson Creek Watershed Council recognizes the value of working in partnerships with other public and private organizations. Many organizations are actively working on Johnson Creek projects, including monitoring, restoration and enhancement, education, and land use planning. Each of these partners will take on different roles as funding, resources, and planning indicate. The JCWC is undertaking a Strategic Planning process for the purpose of assessing needs and organizational development as well as assessing the overall capacity of the organization. This was initiated due to all the recent changes in structure and personnel within the organization.
For watershed action implementation to accomplish its goals, restoration and protection projects and actions need to be prioritized in terms of need, effectiveness, and the effect on future actions and programs. Actions also need to be sequenced so that implementing one doesn’t impact the effectiveness of another. As suggested in the City of Portland’s Framework for Integrated Management of Watershed and River Health, the following elements and their order is a matter of importance:
Protect existing populations and their habitats. Protecting and rebuilding an existing population is more feasible and efficient than reintroducing a population that has been lost.
Reconnect favorable habitats. This allows existing populations to provide ‘colonists’ that can re-establish satellite populations in nearby habitat where populations have been extirpated.
Identify and control sources of degradation. Causes of degradation should be identified and quantified before their impacts within the watershed are addressed.
Sequencing of projects and actions is critical for the success of the Council’s Action Plan. Sequencing projects and actions should be based on several key components including but not limited to: 1) severity of the problem; 2) goals and objectives of the project and the assumed or known effectiveness of the project or action; 3) technical feasibility; 4) timing; 5) funding; and 6) other local and regional planning efforts and implementation projects.
A monitoring plan developed around a prioritized list of data gaps will be required to further our understanding of the problems and opportunities facing the Johnson Creek watershed. Monitoring must also be incorporated into the design of each project that is implemented. A long-term monitoring program is recommended to assess trends and track progress and effectives of the Action Plan.
In addition to the prioritized data gaps that will form the basis of the monitoring plan, the following three additional elements are recommended for monitoring: 1) EDT modeling follow-up; 2) TMDL Water quality; and 3) Biological (fish and benthic macroinvertebrates).
For the purpose of tracking progress with Action Plan implementation, an annual report should be produced to document implemented projects and monitoring conducted annually. These annual reports should be published on the JCWC’s web site and summarized at the annual Springwater Festival.
Adaptive management techniques will assess progress and make changes to the Action Plan. Tracking project effectiveness and subsequent changes to the limiting factors throughout the watershed will be key to determining improvement and whether health indicators are achieving properly functioning conditions in the future.
The Adaptive Management Plan consists of the following sequential elements:
The Action Plan’s Adaptive management adheres to the guidelines detailed in the City of Portland Framework, 2002. These guidelines recommend the following elements in an adaptive watershed management plan:
The JCWC has been successful in the recent past in obtaining funds and grants to hire staff, purchase equipment and office supplies, facilitate forums, conduct public and organizational meetings, develop educational programs and materials, and implement restoration and volunteer projects. JCWC must continue with a cooperative approach with a number of partners to continue this success.
