Carli Creek Water Quality Project

The Carli Creek facility ensures a cleaner Clackamas River, protection for endangered wildlife and proves that a balance between nature and industry is possible. 

Since December 18, 2018, the innovative Carli Creek Water Quality Project has been filtering harmful pollutants from stormwater runoff from surrounding industrial properties before it reaches Carli Creek and the Clackamas River, the drinking water source for nearly 400,000 people in Clackamas County. 

In 2012, we recognized the importance of the property to river water quality and acquired the former farmland to establish the facility. In 2013–14, water quality monitoring showed pollution levels exceeded standards for:

• E. coli
• copper
• lead
• zinc

threatening water quality, fish and other wildlife. An elaborate fish rescue operation was performed before construction began.

Project Features

• a meandering channel with pools along nearly 1,700 linear feet of Carli Creek
• 61 large wood habitat structures for fish and other aquatic wildlife
• a backwater channel
• floodplain enhancements through grading, invasive, and non-native species removal, and planting a diversity of native species
• enhanced wetlands and an additional 1.36 acre of wetland

Project Funding

The total project budget including land acquisition was $4 million. WES was supported by key partnerships, such as Portland General Electric (PGE) who awarded WES $380,000 for the stream restoration elements of the project. In addition to the PGE grant, funding for the project came from surface water fees paid by property owners within the WES service area.

Photos

	Aerial of the project
	From one of the outfalls to step pools
	Habitat structures for wildlife
	Project’s wetland groundbreaking
	Birdseye view of project site
	Site preparation to protect from erosion
	Project's proximity to the river
	Work to naturalize creek channel
	Native fish protected during construction
	Extensive restoration efforts to improve habitat
	WES staff helping to protect wildlife
	Large wood installation stabilizes streambanks
	Fish salvage protected existing species
	Small schools of fish have returned post instream work
	Evidence of recent beaver activity at the site