SW Hamilton Roadside Swales
Environmental Services completed work in March 2016 on a stormwater management project on SW Hamilton Street (see map below). This project helps protect water quality in Fanno creek.
Project Background
Ditches on SW Hamilton carry stormwater runoff from the street directly to Fanno Creek. The fast-moving water causes erosion and carries pollutants washed off streets.
This project constructed swales planted with a combination of grasses and low-growing plants to help protect the channel from erosion and reduce stormwater pollutants. As part of the project, the Portland Bureau of Transportation added four-foot wide, paved shoulders.
The Fanno-Tryon Watershed Management Plan identified these improvements as a way to improve drainage and pedestrian safety and protect water quality. Over one-third of the roads in the watershed are paved and have no curbs. Ditches border most of them.