Depave For Salmon
AT A GLANCE
This project removed pavement from parking lots and installed rain gardens that filter polluted stormwater before it flows into the creeks at Mt Hood Community College.
2018
4 MIL.
200
Location
Parking lots EFGH along Kane Drive on the Mt. Hood Community College Campus. See map below for project area.
Schedule
Oct. 27th, 2018 - Rain garden planting with Depave and 70 volunteers.
Aug. 6th, 2018 - Sept. 24th, 2018: Construction to install rain gardens, bioswales, drywells, and planters in parking lots E and F. Contractors include Otak, Britton Excavating and Grow Construction LLC.
May 18th, 2018 - Kickoff event with Depave. 130 volunteers removed asphalt in parking lots EFGH to get the space ready for summer construction.
Project Description
Mt. Hood Community College has become the first Salmon Safe certified community college in the nation. Beaver and Kelly Creeks flow through campus before joining the Sandy River and are home to endangered salmon. This project removed pavement from parking lots EFGH and installed rain gardens to filter polluted stormwater before it flows into the creeks. The rain gardens will treat up to 4 million gallons of polluted rainwater annually. Project design prioritizes minimal parking loss.
With the completion of this and future projects like it, MHCC becomes a healthy link in restoring endangered salmon populations and a regional leader in sustainability.
Funding
Funders include Metro, the City of Gresham, East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, Spirit Mountain, and DEQ. The Salmon Safe Clean Water project is funded entirely by external grants, bringing approximately $1 million in outside investment to modernize campus drainage originally built in the 1960's.
Featured Story
MHCC Getting Salmon Safer
Mt. Hood Community College, the Sandy River Watershed Council and other partners are preparing to complete planned parking lot improvements as part of the Salmon Safe initiative to enhance water quality and habitat on the College’s Gresham campus. Funded entirely by local and regional grants, the series of engineered rain gardens, swales, and stormwater filtering planters will clean and capture millions of gallons of rainfall from parking lots G and H, at the north edge of the campus entrance.
Updates from the Field
5.18.18
Legend
7.1.18
Related Culvert Replacement Projects
Other efforts happening around campus to improve conditions for salmon include the replacement of fish passage inhibiting culverts near campus. Culverts allow streams to flow under a road, but often cause erosion problems that make it difficult for fish to get upstream.
- In 2017, Multnomah County replaced the culvert on Beaver Creek at Stark St.
- In 2018, the City of Gresham replaced the culvert on Kelly Creek at Kane Dr. that had blown out during a record breaking 100-year storm December 2015.
- In 2019, Multnomah County will replace the culvert at the south end of campus on Beaver Creek under Cochran Rd.
New Multnomah County culvert with natural stream bottom at Stark St.
More Information
Project presentations and tours available upon request, contact: [email protected].
The following are resources and articles about the MHCC Salmon Safe Projects.
- MHCC helping the environment one rain garden at a time
- College makes parking lots greener - The Outlook - 8/1/19
- Representative Chris Gorsek commends MHCC and SRWC with HCR 37
- MHCC Becomes Nation’s First Community College Certified as Salmon-Safe - by MHCC
- MHCC working to clean up its water act, seeks 'Salmon Safe' designation - Gresham Outlook 1/22/2016
- Salmon Safe website.
- Salmon-Safe Project At MHCC Nearly Complete - Gresham Patch 9/9/2018
- Salmon Safe Partners Tour Project at MHCC - MHCC 9/5/2018
- Otak designs stormwater improvements for Mount Hood Community College, the country's first Salmon Safe certified community college - Otak 9/2018
- Salmon Safe Construction Begins - SRWC 6/2018
- Salmon Safe Construction 2018 Complete - SRWC 9/2018