It is reported that the Coho salmon is not native to the Willamette Basin, but it is increasingly taking to the slow water tributaries that feed the Willamette.
There has been talk in recent years of removing the eight dams that are on rivers that feed into the Willamette River, so as to boost the river's fish habitat for all fish.
But these dams are there primarily for flood control, and I don't see how we can go without flood control on the Willamette. The Willamette is prone to the infrequent major flood, such as the Christmas Day flood of 1968 which carried houses into the river.
Here's two related articles to the surge in Coho and the dams situated on the Willamette River Basin:
Coho salmon run opens new areas for fishing in Willamette River (statesmanjournal.com)
fs-201908-Power-from-the-Willamette-Basin-dams.pdf (bpa.gov)
(posted by Elvis Clark on September 21, 2024)
Long term plans are for the Grand Rhonde Tribe to eventually put up the old fashion planks used to catch fish at the Willamette Falls in Oregon City.
Wow! Won't that be a site - that of seeing these big cohos, like the one held by the man in the photo above, be pulled from the Willamette Falls by the native Indians.
Here is the Feasibility Study - conveying the unique history of the Willamette Falls and its Landings - its center being in Oregon City: WFNHA_FS_Final_Web.pdf - Google Drive
The history told in this feasibility study is quite interesting.
One day maybe there could be river boats stopping at Milwaukie Bay Park and taking people up the Willamette River past the Falls in Oregon city using the locks that were closed just only 13 years ago now, in 2011.
Or, one day the Trolley Trail maybe is enhanced and extended up into Oregon City, allowing bicycle tourists to ride and view the Falls from the deck of a proposed new tourist plaza near the Falls.
(posted by Elvis Clark on September 14, 2024)
This Spring and Summer (2024) the Grand Rhonde Tribe is demolishing the Great Heron paper mill administrative building (a century old like structure). Eventually, visitors to Willamette Falls in Oregon City will be able to get a much closer view of the Falls and the River because of the Grand Rhone Tribe's remake of this section of the Willamette once home to paper mill industry.
(posted by Elvis Clark on July 19, 2024)
There is a long-lived dispute between native American tribes people from around the Northwest. The Grand Rhonde claim certain rights to the west side of the Willamette River immediately downstream from the Willamette Falls in downtown Oregon City. But Warm Springs, Siletz and Yakima tribes also claim certain rights to this area.
It looks like the tribes have agreed with PGE electric utility to have the Grand Rhonde develop the west bank of the Willamette Falls area and let the other tribes (along with PGE electric utility) develop the east bank of the Willamette Falls area.
There is still ongoing litigation to solidify the legal framework for the tribes to develop the Willamette Falls and its banks - improving public access and restoring native fishing rights at the Falls.
For the latest on the Native Indian tribes' development of the Willamette Falls attraction read "GrndRndWF23Jul" and "WstLnnsideWF23Jul" - both in PDF format.
In yet another development this week concerning native Indian fishing rights at the Willamette Falls in Oregon City, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) approved the Grand Rhonde tribe fishing rights at the Willamette Falls but excludes other northwest tribes the right to fish similarly at the Willamette Falls in Oregon City. Here is the link for the OPB news reporting on this ODFW decision:
Grand Ronde agreement with Oregon could launch litigation - OPB
(posted by Elvis Clark on August 9, 2023)
Link to Oregon Public Broadcasting article on the Arch Bridge history:
(posted by Elvis Clark on December 30, 2022)
(posted by Elvis Clark on September 16, 2022)
In the above photo, Lake Oswego is now using a floating tour boat of its Lake to point out the architecture of the houses on the Lake.
Which kind of relates to Milwaukie Farmers Market and Milwaukie Bay Park.
Picture if you will, Sunday in the hours of the Farmers Market in down town Milwaukie, a nice warm day. Then picture walking over a pedestrian bridge over McLoughlin Boulevard to Milwaukie Bay Park and there at a boat ramp; you and family being able to take a nice Sunday cruise up the Willamette to see the Willamette Locks and Fall (not to mention Elk Rock Island).
I think the idea is worth exploring.
(posted by Elvis Clark on July 11, 2022)
This new proposed bicycle-pedestrian-only bridge lacks a funding source presently. (Sure would be nice if the money going to building more mostly failing light rail lines would instead go into building bike/electric bicycle transportation routes like this proposed bridge).
My thought is the new electric bicycle technologies might prove pretty practical mobility solutions - even across town...if only a network of dedicated pathways.
(posted by Elvis Clark on June 9, 2022)
The Trolley Trail is a bicycle and walking trail which will one day connect Milwaukie to the Willamette Falls/Oregon City attraction, even more so than it does today.
Be wary of people who want to annex or incorporate Oak Grove into a City. Believe me: City Government would add another layer and risk to the personal freedom and liberties of those living in Oak Grove. Not to mention more taxes and fees.
I plan to bicycle the Trolley Trail from Milwaukie Bay Park out to this festival out on Oak Grove Boulevard, July 16, 2022, 11 am to 4 pm.
(posted by Elvis Clark on May 28, 2022)
This is one of those government programs which is appealing. Willamette Falls are fun to watch. Re-opening the Locks will permit boats to go upstream from the Falls, with maybe someday boat trips beginning in Milwaukie or even Portland and going to Willamette Falls and farther upstream. There is also the Trolley Trail in Milwaukie which one day may connect all the way to the Falls without also having to use McLoughlin Blvd in certain sections. Then I can vision like a red double decker bus (top row open air) cruising from Milwaukie's Sunday afternoon Farmers Market all the way to Oregon City and taking the view of Willamette Falls. This dream has a long ways to go, but its do able.
(posted by Elvis Clark on May 21, 21)
posted by Elvis Clark on May 14, 2021)
The Grand Ronde Confederated Tribe owns the old vacant paper mill (now called Blue Heron) on the east bank in Oregon City just downstream from the Willamette Falls. Grand Ronde is planning to remake the east bank of the Falls area into a public venue and attraction. Grand Ronde presentation this Tuesday afternoon 4/27): https://www.clackamas.us/meetings/bcc/presentation/2021-04-27-0
Willamette Falls photo to your right. Boats ply in the lagoon just downstream from Willamette Falls.
Kayakers have a pool to play in on the west side across from Grand Ronde's Blue Heron property in the Willamette Falls project area.
This is I think is part of a special paper fiber manufacturing facility bought and managed by a former Aluminum Smelter entrepreneur. It is just across from the Grand Ronde Blue Heron property, this facility being on the west bank in the Willamette Falls project area.
This is back in the day when manufacturing is getting up and running in the down town area of Oregon City.
This is Grand Ronde Tribe's preliminary plan for making their Blue Heron property, east bank of Willamette Falls area, a marque destination type public venue with commerce activity also. Notice a pedestrian bridge across McLoughlin and out to see the Falls. Also, the tribe is also cleared to allow the re-establishment of native fishing in the Falls area (the old plank and netting Indian fishing
There is so much potential with the Willamette Falls project. I imagine a red double decker bus running between Milwaukie Farmer's Market to the Willamette Falls on Sundays in late Spring to early Fall on Sunny days. Imagine also putting in historical art pieces along McLoughlin going to Oregon City. There's our Trolley Trail to be completed to Oregon City too.
I want to show this video footage to show us that many automobile travelers enjoy the Oregon City Arch Bridge. I shutter because there is talk of making the Arch Bridge pedestrian and bicycle only. It seems a much more prosperous approach would be to modify the bridge to add a lip to it for including bicycle and pedestrian outside lane(s).
But today, at the close of 2019, much of the north side of the market place is vacant retail space. This Market Place encompasses a land area not unlike the size of down town Milwaukie. It is unlikely the Market Place could occur again today, because it is built on marsh like land (across from Mint Park..think it is).
Super Cuts is gone from Market Place this last year or so, too. But Liquor store, Subway, tanning salon, Chinese restaurant, and Starbucks still thrive in the northwest part of complex.
Just this month December 2019, Xfinity (Comcast) local customer service branch moved out of the Market Place.
Rite Aid is somewhat amazing, as it is like a debt laden zombie corporation, and largely just grinds away with just enough margins to pay debt interest costs.
(posted by Elvis Clark, December 24 2019)
Sources say our City Planner is wanting maybe 500 new housing units on the Market Place property. The truth is the grocery business is in hard times with competition from Amazon home delivery even of groceries and Walmart big box stores. Redevelopment of the Market Place could be a plus in this case, as probably trees and greenery are put in place of some of the massive asphalt overlay; and you could get an upscale accessible Pearl like district.