A crew from National Geographic was in town the week of August 16^th to film footage of the Willamette River shoreline for a documentary.  The film will chronicle in part how earthquakes can dramatically alter and cause abrupt changes in river shorelines. 

The National Geographic film and reporting crew enlisted the help of Portland Fire & Rescue’s (PF&R) Fireboat David Campbell to provide a riverside view of the Willamette River’s west bank and waterfront.  They used film and audio to showcase and explain how much of the Willamette River’s shoreline is composed of massive amounts of sawdust, mill wastes, dredge spoils, gravel, debris from demolished buildings, and garbage. 

Visit National Geographic’s website at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ for free maps, photos, videos and daily news stories, as well as articles and features.

Willamette River Waterfront, circa 1915

Click here to learn more about the Willamette River’s history on the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services’ website.

Color photos courtesy of PF&R Photographer Dick Harris.

  Portland Fire & Rescue We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

  August 24, 2010