We thought you might find this article about New York artist Eve Mosher’s work interesting.  In 2007, she used art to illustrate the potential high water mark for a 100-year flood in New York City.  Images from Hurricane Sandy last October show the reality of the flooding that occurred in some of the same places Eve had marked.

Here in Portland, we’re working to protect and reconnect natural floodplains as important natural resources and to protect homes and businesses from flooding during some storm events.  Environmental Services’ East Lents project to restore part of the Johnson Creek floodplain is nearly complete—watch for the 150,000 newly planted native shrubs and trees to really take off this spring.  And, last month we announced the exciting purchase of 54 acres of natural area in the Columbia Slough watershed.  This property, with sensitive wetlands that store and filter rain water, is a rare remnant of the Columbia River’s historic floodplain. 

Aerial photo of the January 2009 Johnson Creek flood after a fresh snowfall. 

The approx. 70 acre East Lents project area is circled in red.