Gresham site, September 2014-note wall of invasive blackberries
The Johnson Creek Watershed Council has been working hard to establish riparian forest on private property through its CreekCare program since 2010. This program initially targeted areas in the upper watershed east of Gresham; in 2014, we received a generous grant from the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District to expand the reach of this program into Gresham and Pleasant Valley. Since that time, we’ve been able to engage 22 landowners to do restoration work along creeks on their property, planting nearly 30,000 native plants along 1 2/3 miles and treating invasive species on over 16 acres. As these plants grow, they will provide vital shade and habitat along Johnson Creek and its tributaries. Many of the properties we worked on abut natural areas managed by the City of Gresham, so this work extends the restoration that has been happening concurrently on those lands. Many thanks to EMSWCD and to all the landowners who participated in this program!