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The City of Portland, Oregon

Environmental Services

working for clean rivers

Phone: 503-823-7740

Fax: 503-823-6995

1120 SW 5th Ave, Suite 613, Portland, OR 97204

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Stephens Subwatershed Facts

  • Stephens CreekThe Stephens Creek subwatershed covers 754 acres of southwest Portland.
  • 144 acres of the subwatershed are forested.
  • 61 acres of the subwatershed have woodland type tree canopy.
  • The watershed has about 19,500 feet of natural stream channel (3.7 miles).
  • A 3.5 acre Pacific willow forested wetland at the mouth of Stephens Creek is the most extensive remaining floodplain on the creek.
  • Willamette River ESA listed fish species continue to use lower Stephens Creek as off-channel habitat. Fish species include Chinook, coho and steelhead
  • The forested areas and streams of the subwatershed provide an important link between the West Hills and the Ross Island-Oaks Bottom ecosystem complex to the east, and between Marquam Nature Park to the north and Tryon Creek State Natural Area to the south.
  • Stormwater from roads, parking lots and roofs generally flows directly into Stephens Creek, which then flows to the Willamette River.
  • Stephens CreekImpervious area, mostly streets, covers less than half of this subwatershed. The heaviest concentration of impervious area is in the I-5, Barbur Corridor in the Burlingame area.
  • Parks and open space make up 168 acres of the watershed; 66 acres of land are in public ownership.