Volunteers dedicated to the protection, restoration and enhancement of Fanno Creek and its tributaries.
The Fanno Creek Watershed is located in the Portland, Oregon USA area.
Englewood Park Restoration and Tree Planting
New Stuff:
Mark your calendar!
Fowler Middle School Ivy Pull, February 27 and March 13, 9:00AM to 12:00PM.
We will be pulling ivy in the forest behind the Fowler Middle School.
The address of the school is 10865 SW Walnut Street, cross street is SW Tiedemann in Tigard. Best way to get there is take SW Greenburg Road exit from Hwy. 217, go west to the 2nd light which is Tiedemann, turn right onto Tiedemann, stay to the left where the road forks, cross the RR tracks and go about 300' to Tigard Street where there is a 4 way stop. Continue on Tiedemann for about 1/2 mile and Fowler Middle School is on the right, just before Tiedemann meets SW Walnut Street.
Folks should use the entrance off Tiedemann into the school grounds and park ONLY at this end (east end) of the parking lot, by the fir tree grove. (Since there is other stuff going on at the school that day, they want us to park only at that end).
Any children coming those days must be accompanied by parents and remain with parents (this is to help protect native plants coming up now that are easily damaged by people running around).
Folks should bring gloves for pulling ivy, be prepared for rain, etc.
Raleigh Hills New Seasons Market and FANS teaming up to do planting and cleanups. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting development!
Another potential Fanno Creek disaster brewing. Rather than protecting floodplains and wetlands, and taxpayers dollars, the City of Portland plans on major pump station work, this after spending an additional $7 million dollars to rebuild the leaking sewer line down Multnomah Blvd. Does this concern you? Here's some Q&A.More info from 2008 Tribune article. And here is information from the City of Portlands website. The City contact is Stephen Sykes at 503-823-7898. The City generally is very proactive on clean air and clean water issues but this one has people scratchng their heads.
A new and exciting way to learn, share and particpate, a Fanno Creek blog
Turtle Information - Oregon has two native species of turtles, the western painted and western pond turtles. Both species are declining throughout their range due to habitat loss, roads, introduction of non-native invasive species (bullfrogs that eat turtle hatchlings) and other factors. This continued loss of turtles has led agencies, cities and local groups to form a new entity to address the long-term conservation and protection of our turtles. The Lower Willamette Valley Turtle Conservation Strategy includes the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Metro Parks and Greenspaces, City of Portland, Port of Portland, Northwest Ecological Research Institute, The Oregon Zoo, and The Pacific NW Turtle Project. We are currently drafting a conservation plan that includes ways in which to protect and enhance turtle habitat, surveys and monitoring for turtles, educational outreach (check out our website at www.willametteturtles.com), and volunteer opportunities. If you want to help, please call Sue Beilke, Director of The Pacific NW Turtle Project, at
503-330-0220.
Illicit discharges on Fanno Creek that have been happening late at night during the middle of the week. If you are paddling and see foam at the mouth of Fanno Creek, or see significant foam on lower Fanno Creek itself, please give call 503-936-7612 to get a water sample for the CWS lab to analyze.
Who ya gonna call if you see bad stuff in the creek:
Oregon Emergency Response System 1-800-452-0311
DEQ Pollution Complaint Line 503-229-5393
Clean Water Services, 503-681-3600 or 503-547-8100
City of Portland, Bureau of Environmental Services Spill Response Hotline 503-823-7180
For a more complete list of agencies and numbers to call, please see more contacts
Invasive Alert: giant hogweed is here. Learn what it costs you even if it isn't on your property and how to get rid of it if you see it.
Great invasive weed website. Protect your property!
One of the last pieces of property (~8 acres) on Fanno Creek could have been bought by Metro Parks and Open Spaces, Clean Water Services (USA), or the City of Tigard, but it appears that a Tigard employee has purchased the property and plans on developing it. Because the property is in the Washington Square Regional Center all floodplain and wetland protections are off the table for discussion; most of the property is floodplain and includes the confluence with Ash Creek, a salmon and steelhead bearing stream. Like Mike Burton once said, we need to stop building stupid buildings in stupid places. For public health and safety concerns lets hope that this is the wrong property. Will post information as it becomes available. UPDATE: Unfortunately, this story is true. A road has already been started in the floodplain and wetland.
December 2003/January 2004 - Here's the Public Meeting Notice (880k) and Stop Work Order (850k).
February 6, 2004 - Tigard Times article on the proposed Black Bull subdivision outling the corrupt nature of this project: February 6, 2004 February 18, 2005 - The main reason Metro did not buy this property was because they said it conflicted with Metro Transportation projects. Now Metro is thinking about allowing a road across a Greenspace acquisition at the Brown property, just south of this Ash creek property.
April 6, 2005 - Developers of the project, now called 'Refuge at Fanno Creek', presented a slightly different version from last years plan, but they still want to put the access road in floodplain and wetlands.
November 14, 2005 - Public Hearing at Tigard City Hall 7 PM; Developer is looking for approval for a plan that still has the access road in the 100 year flood plain and wetlands; Fans comments to look at other options pretty much ignored
December 12, 2005 - Continuation of Public Hearing from November 14, 2005. Developer stills plans on building the access road in floodplains and wetlands.
December 28, 2005 - The City of Tigard Hearings officer decided in favor of the developer and recommended filling floodplain and wetland so the developer can build the access road. The decision can be requested at the City of Tigard offices. Here is a picture of where the access road will be constructed. The majority of the proposed road is underwater most winters.
January 24, 2006 - Tigard Council upheld the Hearings officers decision with little discussion and voted to allow the floodplain and wetland fill.
Note: If you have knowledge that any of this infomration is incorrect, unclear, or incomplete, please email Fans at the email address below.
August 2007 - A sign has been posted on the property and a call was made to the real estate agent who said the property was being listed for $1.1 million. Not a bad return on an investment of $35k just a few years ago. The flyer (1.6 megs) form the realtor states "The residential component can be developed immediately", but they fail to mention the Stop Work Order may still be in effect. And tragically the proposal, referred to as Refuge at Fanno Pointe, is still an environmental and public safety mess.
Septmber 2008 - Latest word is that the Oregon Division of State Lands caved to another wetland and floodplain filling project, claiming their rules were followed. Ironically, the Refuge at Fanno Point is being named after that which is being destroyed.
Tree Planting Saturday January 24, 2004 at Bauman Park 9am-noon. Photo #1Photo #2
We need to get as many people as possible asking DEQ to make major improvements in stormwater quality in this next permit. Please get involved by attending a hearing or sending a note to DEQ.
Help stop stormwater pollution – Tell your story to DEQ
Was Fanno Creek really blue on Wednesday August 6th? The Portland Golf Club allegedly used a chemical in their pond, that then got into the Creek. Clean Water Services is investigating.
We had fun at our 11th Annual 2002 Tree Planting festival Saturday March 2, 2002. Photo #1Photo #2Photo #3
FLASH!! Native Oregon Floater mussels (Anodonta oregonensis) found in Fanno Creek by biologist Al Smith! Click here for a picture of one of the mussels and where they were found...
Another successful planting (11/3/01), this time at Bauman Park! About 25 folks showed up to plant 600 trees and shrubs.
10th Annual 2001 Fans of Fanno Creek Tree Planting!! Pictures from the planting; can you find yourself?
9th Annual 2000 Fans of Fanno Creek Tree Planting.....GREAT WORK FOLKS!!...We had some rain and the creek came up but it was FUN!
City of Tigard Earth Day and SOLV Projects Contact Susan Koepping or 503-639-4171
Fall Tree Planting - Held Saturday October 21, 2000 at Raleighwood Park. Photo #1Photo #2Photo #3
'Fish Stories: The Historical Occurance of Salmonids in the Fanno Creek Watershed' is now available! We have a limited printing so first come first served. See info below about contacting Fans for more info.
