This summer Portland General Electric (PGE) will lay the groundwork for a future restoration project at the Harborton Wetlands site.  The project is located in the Portland Harbor Superfund site on the western shores of the Willamette River and Multnomah Channel, right across from the southern tip of Sauvie Island.   The project is being designed to  benefit fish and wildlife affected by contamination in the Superfund site, such as salmon, lamprey, and mink. 

The Harborton Wetlands already serve an an ecological refuge for northern red legged frogs and a myriad of other wildlife. Baseline monitoring conducted by PGE over the past few years has documented river otter, coyote, deer, and bald eagle using the area.  The restoration plan for Harborton Wetlands includes preserving and enhancing existing aquatic, riparian, and upland habitat, including the large wetland currently used by red legged frogs. Restoration elsewhere on the 62 acre site will involve removal of fish passage barriers, excavation of additional off-channel habitat, extensive native plantings, and management of invasive vegetation.

Work this year will include removing invasive vegetation and rearranging existing infrastructure on the site to make room for more habitat. PGE plans to start construction of the full restoration project during summer 2017.

If you're interested in learning more about this project, PGE will present to the Linnton Neighborhood Association on May 4, 2016. You can find out more details about this meeting here.