A long-planned Army Corps of Engineers’ project to dredge a segment of the Willamette River gets under way soon. Later this month, the Corps will begin dredging sand and sediment that have accumulated in an area of the river called Post Office Bar. Located about two miles south of the Willamette’s confluence with the Columbia River, Post Office Bar is a tricky navigation point for river pilots, and the accumulated sediment on the river bottom is a navigation hazard.

Dredging is scheduled to last no more than 31 days and will take place while fish are least likely to be migrating through the river. Dredged sand and sediment will be placed at the Port’s West Hayden Island dredge material placement facility. This 105-acre site on the north side of the island was developed to manage dredge material long-term. It’s protected by berms, and material is placed there only after a careful and conservative review by environmental regulators.

Contractors working on behalf of the Corps will transport material from a barge anchored just off-shore of Hayden Island. Over the course of the month, they’ll pipe about 45,000 cubic yards of sand and sediment into the upland area. While the Port-owned property is not open to the public, anyone accessing the island should avoid the active work areas, especially areas inside the berms where material is being deposited. This area is marked by signs warning of the unstable nature of newly-placed wet sand and soil.

The beach on Hayden Island is open to everyone, and contractors are required to have a clearly-marked walkway over the pipe to maintain beach access. Have questions or comments? Email Rachel Wray or call 503.415-6047.

Shown above: the dredge material placement site on West Hayden Island is an open, sandy area on the north side of the island.

The Port is pleased to be one of several sponsors of a SOLV community cleanup project on Hayden Island this Saturday, August 27. Everyone's invited to join Hayden Island residents, Port staff, and local agencies and businesses to clean up litter, chat with City of Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz, and have a great time. Trash bags, gloves, and safety vests provided.

Swing by during the times below to lend a hand and learn more about the Hayden Island community and projects related to the Port's West Hayden Island property.

East Hayden Island Cleanup
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Meet at the southeast parking lot of the Jantzen Beach Super Center.

West Hayden Island Beach Walk and Cleanup
12:30- 5:00 p.m.
Meet at far west end of North Hayden Island Drive. Kick-off party with Commissioner Fritz begins at 1:00.

For more information, contact Pam Ferguson of the Hayden Island Neighborhood Association at 503.265.9479.

The Port of Portland is a proud sponsor of RiverFest -- Portland’s annual celebration of the Willamette River. Be part of the celebration by attending one of the dozens of RiverFest events, including a concert in the park, kayak lessons, bridge tours, harbor tours, a SOLV riverbank clean-up, and more!

Click here for all the details, and don’t miss the RiverFest Fair this Sunday, August 21, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Watch the action at the Portland Triathlon while enjoying family-friendly activities all designed to bring you closer to one of the region’s true treasures, the Willamette River.

And sign up NOW for a special RiverFest sight-seeing cruise on the Portland Spirit -- see the Willamette close-up and in comfort on this special discounted adventure.

Ships and boats, trucks and cranes, and $5 jetboat tours on the Willamette River – Seaport Celebration has it all! Don’t miss this awesome, family-friendly event this Saturday, July 30, at the Port’s marine terminal 2.

And check out “Out and About with Drew Carney” on KGW between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m. on Friday morning for fun details and a behind-the-scenes glimpse of all that Seaport Celebration has to offer.

The Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group is hosting Superfund Field Day this Saturday, July 9, to share information about the environmental cleanup of the lower Willamette River. The event, from noon to 3:00 p.m., will be held at beautiful Cathedral Park in North Portland. In addition to great information and fun activities from many groups involved in cleaning up Portland Harbor, the Field Day will feature free jet boat tours – space is limited, so come early to sign up!

For more information about the Portland Harbor Superfund project, visit the Environmental Protection Agency and the Lower Willamette Group. To learn more about the Port's efforts at Terminal 4, don't miss the Community Advisory Group meeting the following Wednesday, July 13, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the BES Lab, 6543 N. Burlington Ave., in North Portland. T4 project manager Kelly Madalinski will present the latest on our work to clean up contamination at this busy marine terminal.

Listen in on some fascinating stories from Oregon Public Broadcasting! On June 22, the first segment of OPB’s Think Out Loud program featured Claire Bolderson, a BBC News Hour reporter who’s visiting and broadcasting from Portland. Claire talked about her trip to the Port of Portland and her conversations with people who rely on international trade, like hazelnut growers in the Willamette Valley.

The second segment of the show focused on wheat and agriculture products that are exported through Pacific Northwest ports. Portland is the largest wheat exporting port in the country and third largest in the world, and the guests provided interesting perspective on the relationship between Oregon-grown wheat and consumers in China and other parts of Asia.

Great, thorough coverage in Neighborhood Notes on the prospects of funding for a Whistle-Free Zone around railroad tracks running through the St. Johns/Cathedral Park neighborhoods. Check it out and learn more about how different transportation and community improvement projects are funded.

The Port’s Natural Resource program actively works on invasive species issues at both our airports and seaports. Many of you have seen our display on the threat of invasive zebra and Quagga mussels and heard Marla Harrison, our marine and industrial development environmental manager, talk about our invasive mussel monitoring stations and partnerships with the Oregon Invasive Species Council and Oregon Marine Board.

The importance of this effort is only growing, as evidenced by a May 23rd Oregon Public Broadcasting report on zebra mussels. The mussels were recently discovered during a voluntary boat inspection near the southern Oregon border. Listen to the OPB program Think Out Loud to learn more, and remember to wash your boat when returning to Oregon from other states. Other great tools are available at “The Silent Invasion” website, including an opportunity to watch the award-winning OPB program online.

Great coverage in the Oregonian of the Portland Harbor: Behind the Scenes tours. Next up: a busy day on Saturday, May 21, with a tour of the Coast Guard facilities on Swan Island and a barge launch at Gunderson. No RSVP required for these events! Check out the PHBTS Facebook page for more details.