Environmental Services and Portland Parks & Recreation completed a stream enhancement project in the Ash Creek Natural Area/Taylor’s Woods portion of Dickinson Park in fall 2015. The project stabilized the stream channel, improved in-stream habitat at key locations and protects sanitary sewer infrastructure. The city replanted native plants in areas disturbed during construction and throughout the Ash Creek Natural Area.

Here’s the site this spring, with native plants starting to grow in:

We monitored the project over the winter to see how the stream enhancement design performed during storms. Stormwater from the I-5 freeway is directed to South Ash Creek just upstream of the project site. Even before the vegetation grew in, the stream handled a large amount of water during a heavy rain storm – as shown in the photo below. 

Ash Creek is a tributary to Fanno Creek, which flows into the Tualatin River. To learn more about the current condition of the watershed, check out the Fanno Creek Watershed Report Card.