During a break in heavy rains on Thursday, February 9th, KOIN 6 met up with Environmental Services at Foster Floodplain Natural Area to see how the floodplain was working to prevent flooding of downstream neighborhoods along Johnson Creek. Good news – the high flows of Johnson Creek were spilling into Foster Floodplain as designed instead of onto busy SE Foster Road.

Foster Floodplain Natural Area detaining flood waters 

As explained on camera by Kate Carone, Environmental Program Coordinator, Foster Floodplain works like a bathtub – holding all that excess rain until it can drain gradually instead of dumping into the creek all at once and causing flooding. Foster Floodplain is one of several restoration projects that Environmental Services has built to alleviate the frequent flooding that has historically plagued neighborhoods along Johnson Creek. Before the restoration project was completed in 2012, SE Foster Road near SE 106th Ave. flooded every other year on average. Foster Floodplain is expected to reduce that flooding to once every six to eight years.

KOIN’s video is here: http://koin.com/2017/02/09/portlands-work-on-johnson-creek-helps-prevent-flooding/

You can learn more about the Foster Floodplain restoration by visiting the project’s website:  https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/article/286175