Courtesy of the West Hayden Island News
May 31, 1972, The Press (City Southeast)
Planners present alternative plans for Columbia Slough
Part III
Irene Bradfield
The Columbia Slough Environmental Task Force, led by Multnomah County Comissioner Mel Gordon, continued its study of the future of the North Portland waterway at its May 19 meeting.
Gordon said the purpose of the task force is to get broad public input and he urged the public to attend and let their views be known. He noted the task force does not have power to implement proposals but can provide information and make recommendations. The Corps of Engineers also hold public hearings, he said. That agency has jurisdiction over the slough, which is navigable, public waterway.
Multnomah County and Port of Portland planners presented seven alternative plans for the slough and bordering land area. They said the lake system (Smith and Bybee), the interior portion of the Rivergate area, the south shore area as well as the slough itself, lend themselves to a number of possibilities for development and environmental considerations.
. . . to future development and proper flood control. The benefits of which way to go on flood control-whether to plug the slough and prevent flow of water from the west or to build up a viable dike system-were discussed at length.
Also, adequate transportation arteries will be needed in the area as Rivergate is developed to its full potential. Location of the Rivergate Freeway (scheduled for connection by 1990) and the Whitaker corridor will have bearing on commercial, industrial and recreational assets planners emphasized.
The plans presented various land uses, showing a closed slough on all but two of the seven. A closed slough will require fresh water in from the Columbia on Sandy rivers, planners said, and a continuous pumping system. Costs of such procedures were not discussed. Planners hope to publish the seven alternative schemes by June 1 to enable the task force [to allow?] the public to study the proposals at future meetings. The area in question encompasses about 7,000 acres, with the port owning about 40 per cent of this area, the city and county owning several parcels and the remaining in private ownership.
Alternative concepts for the Rivergate-slough area ranged from complete flood control with a closed slough to full navigation on both Smith and Bybee lakes and a barge channel in the slough.
A mixed concept of a controlled lake system, no slough and extensive commercial development comprises alternative No. 3.
Alternative No. 4 proposes units of commercial development separated by parks, an interior transportation system around the lakes, split traffic system coming out of Rivergate and multi-use of the area.
Alternative No. 5 advances a neighborhood concept, with a closed slough and the area ties into the St. Johns community.
Plan No. 6 proposes commercial development around the lakes, and housing on the south, with the Rivergate freeway moved to the interior of the area. Plan No. 7 proposes improvement of Smith Lake and a diking system, as well as turning basins and entrance from the Columbia River. The slough is not filled, but is closed on either end, providing drainage for the Rivergate area. The proposal includes pumping over the plug to prevent flooding from the inside.
Several individuals at the meeting favored plugging the slough permanently, while others maintained they favored keeping it open for navigation and recreation purposes. Conservation interests stressed the value of the area for fishing and wildlife.
George Ward, representing the Portland chapter of the Izaak Walton League and the Columbia Industrial Development Corp., said he thought the committee was doing a good job in looking to future use of the slough.
He said the people he represents are interested in keeping the slough and adjoining wetlands under recreation. They favor an open slough and look to the possibility of increased barging in the future.
This would entail activation of the dormant channel project, authorized since 1950 but not funded. Ward said that if the project was revived he thought local support would be forthcoming.
Larry Barber of the Oregon State Marine Board said his organization had previously opposed closing the slough, but had withdrawn their opposition when discussions with the port brought out the desirability of closure to permit industrial development.
“However, we would still like to see it kept open,” he opined, adding that the board has power to regulate speed of boats and has money for boating facilities, tie-up docks near the mouth and the like. His comment on speed limitation was relative to a previous discussion on whether the wash caused by boats would erode slough banks.
Joe H. Heidel, chief of water resources planning for the Corps of Engineers, said a navigation study would be automatic if plans materialized to close the slough permanently. If the slough is to be closed, he added, Congress would have to de-authorize the old project.
Murray Blanford, a resident of the peninsula Drainage District No. 2 area, said he represented 2,000 concerned people who are looking to the task force to use its best judgement for adequate flood control, “to end the threat to our property and our lives.” He said,
Recreation, ecology and industry is secondary,” adding that, “we favor permanent closure.”
Monroe Jubitz, 10205 N Vancouver Way, said he and a number of others in his area want the slough closed permanently to protect $10 million worth of property.
Mrs. Barbara Lucas, member of the citizens resource panel, asked whether local landowners have been asked for input into the committee findings, citing a landowner who had not been queried. She added that since the slough is owned by the public that its use and future should not be restricted to a few or to benefit special interests and suggested a broad consideration by the committee.
L. B. Day, Committee member, replied that the committee’s work is merely the starting point in considering what will be done about Columbia Slough, and that future hearings will be held.
Art Schlack, Multnomah County planner, said more plans will be shown at the next meeting and that it is hoped to have a staff recommended plan by that time.
Gordon said that they hope to coordinate the plans for the slough with the Columbia South Shore land use study which is now nearing completion. This latter plan will reflect problems of airport noise, agricultural land in a flood plain and a new interstate highway system bisecting the study area. The study area includes the land between the Interstate Bridge and the Sandy River north of the Banfield Freeway. Final plans should be worked out by early summer.
The next meeting will be 1:30 p.m., Friday June 16, at the Port of Portland office in the Lloyd Building.
A caption accompanying an image in this article reads: Columbia Slough is closed
Sandfill in Columbia Slough has been place by Corps of Engineers as temporary flood control measure. Railroad embankment in vicinity of Delta Park golf course has also been strengthened with sand to prevent in case of high water.
