News Release

September 2, 2015

A Metro Nature in the Neighborhoods Grant will help fund a project to improve fish and wildlife passage and pedestrian access on Tryon Creek. Today, the Portland City Council accepted the $650,000 grant to help fund the Boones Ferry Fish, Wildlife and Trail Passage project.

The Bureau of Environmental Services will design the project to remove a culvert on Tryon Creek under SW Boones Ferry Road that restricts both fish passage and stream flow, replace the culvert with a bridge and add a pedestrian trail along the creek under Boones Ferry Road.

Environmental Services considered replacing the undersized culvert with a larger, open bottom culvert. With help from the Metro grant, the bureau can design a project to remove the culvert and replace it with a bridge over Tryon Creek. The pedestrian trail under the bridge will complete a missing portion of the Hillsdale to Lake Oswego Regional Trail.

Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods grants support community projects and programs across the greater Portland area, from local park improvements to stream restoration to hands-on nature education for people of all ages and backgrounds. Boones Ferry was one of 22 projects the Metro Council selected this summer to receive a total of $2.8-million toward conservation education and capital improvements. The Council will award additional grants this fall for habitat restoration.

“The Boones Ferry project inspired us,” said Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette, whose district includes much of southwest Portland. “It will transform a leg of the journey through this beautiful part of our region for fish, wildlife and humans alike.”

“This project shows how working with the community and other agencies can make a good project even better,” said City Commissioner Nick Fish. “Thanks to our partners, we can help endangered, native fish thrive and also improve pedestrian safety and trail access.”

Project partners are Metro, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland Parks & Recreation, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, Arnold Creek Neighborhood Association, Tryon Creek Watershed Council, Friends of Tryon Creek and SW Trails PDX.

Environmental Services will begin final design of the $3-million project this fall and start construction in 2017.

The Bureau of Environmental Services works with Portland residents and businesses to protect water quality, public health, and the environment through wastewater collection and treatment, sewer construction and maintenance, stormwater management, and stream and watershed restoration.

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