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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

More Contact Info

Portland Area Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Program (PAWMAP)

The Portland Area Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Program (PAWMAP) is a coordinated long-term monitoring effort designed to measure the city’s current and changing ecological resources. The program systematically measures changes in habitat, water quality and biological communities over time.

PAWMAP samples the following components along perennial and intermittent streams across Portland:

  • In-stream and riparian habitat
  • Water quality including temperature, oxygen, pathogens, and metals
  • Macroinvertebrates
  • Fish
  • Riparian birds

PAWMAP Study Design

PAWMAP’s methods and protocol are based on a national monitoring program called EMAP (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment). The National Aquatic Resource Surveys uses the same protocol to routinely monitor the nation’s aquatic resources.

Environmental Services selects monitoring sites using probabilistic survey design. Each year, PAWMAP staff sample a rotating panel of 20 perennial and 12 intermittent stations. In years 1 through 4, staff sample different stations each year. In years 5-8 and thereafter, staff re-sample the initial four panels every four years.

Graphic of a table showing sampling panels
Data collected at individual sites is generalized to be representative of the entire watershed.

This comprehensive citywide monitoring approach saves money by consolidating monitoring efforts, finds the source of environmental issues, and helps the city meet regulations that protect our rivers and streams.

PAWMAP incorporates some monitoring information from the Columbia and Willamette rivers, but only a limited amount. The protocols for PAWMAP are primarily for smaller river systems. Environmental Services is developing an approach for incorporating large river monitoring into PAWMAP.

View a program fact sheet.

View annual PAWMAP reports

Contact Us

For more information, see the Environmental Services Science Integration Division.