Water & Soil

Tour Local Naturescapes When: Sat May 16, 2015 11AM-4PM Where: East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District 5211 N Williams Av Get Map!

Local Tour
Enjoy behind-the-scenes access to naturescaped yards and gardens that are bursting with color and creativity on this free, self-guided tour. The yard tour is a unique opportunity to meet the do-it-yourself gardeners who have created low-maintenance landscapes featuring native plants, wildlife attractors and water conservation, all without relying on synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

Register for this event.

Nadaka /SOLV Earth Day Clean-up

Earth Day, Every Day When: Sat, Apr 18, 2015 9AM-12PM Where: Nadaka Nature Park 176th & NE Pacific St Gresham OR Get Map!

Event info
Come out and meet your neighbors and make new friends. Join SOLV® and Friends of Nadaka to help improve the park this Earth Day. Activities include: Invasive Plant Removal, Mulching Trails, Trash Removal and possibly work in Community Garden. Be prepared to get a little dirty and to have fun by supporting and volunteering with Friends of Nadaka and Wilkes East Neighborhood Association. Refreshments will be provided for volunteers.

Click here to register yourself, your group or to learn more about this event.

Rain or Shine!
Come dressed for weather and help improve Nadaka Nature Park. Bring working gloves & a water bottle if you have them. Volunteer as long as you can. Drinks and snacks will be provided for volunteers.

Landscapes add value, beauty and livability to our homes

With water use often doubling in the dry summer months due to outdoor watering, lawns and gardens also offer great potential to save time, money and water by making simple waterwise improvements.

In the Portland area, we receive 90 percent of our rainfall October through May. That means we use the most water during the very same months that we get the least rain. Being efficient with your water use makes sound economic and environmental sense, and helps our region meet its long-term water supply needs.

Waterwise gardening doesn’t have to look like a typical southwest cactus and rock landscape. Rather, waterwise gardening practices that incorporate efficient watering tips can create beautiful landscapes that are multi-colored, vibrant and bountiful, even during the hottest summer days.

Laminated Root Rot. Click to enlarge

Laminated Root Rot and Nadaka Nature Park Abel Gebrezgi and Jim Labbe Audubon Society of Portland

INTRODUCTION
Laminated root rot (LRR) is a fungal pathogen, Phellinus weirii, also known as yellowing ring rot. (LLR gets its name from the lamination of the decayed wood (see photo above). This fungus is widespread in Southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, northern California and western Montana.). It is one of the most damaging root diseases amongst conifers, especially firs and cedars, in the Pacific Northwest. Douglas fir, Mountain hemlock, Western hemlock, Grand fir, and Pacific silver fir are highly susceptible to infection by this pathogen. Pine species like Western white pine and Ponderosa pine and larch are more resistant to it while hardwoods are immune. The fungus was first discovered in 1914, on Western red cedar in Idaho. The first reported case in Douglas fir was in 1940, at Cowichan Lake, British Columbia.

BIOLOGY The mycelium of LRR doesn’t grow in the soil and the spores do not spread by wind like most fungal pathogens. Infection occurs when roots of healthy trees grow in contact with infected roots.

Click to enlarge

After initial contact with a living root, the mycelium grows on the bark, extending only a few inches into the surrounding soil. The mycelium penetrates the host through the injured bark and advances along newly infected roots. Symptoms include crown yellowing and thinning, distress of cones, red-brown staining of outer heartwood, and separation of annual rings. Less discernible is the root rot which eventually decays the roots, destabilizes the tree, and leads to death and toppling. In addition to the loss of mature trees within a stand, LRR creates potential hazards from tree fall especially in small urban parks. The number of cases of the LRR disease has increased substantially with the presence of fire suppression and resulting dominance of Douglas-fir and Grand fir.

Friday May 18, 2012
For Immediate Release

Regional funding improves access to West Gresham nature park and supports community garden

On May 17th the Metro Council awarded $238,000 in capital funding to the Nadaka Nature Park and Garden Project, building momentum to this community-driven garden and nature park project in West Gresham. The competitive Metro grant award comes from capital bond funds approved by voters as part of the 2006 Regional Natural Areas Bond Measure and will support new park features like a nature based-play area, rain garden, community garden and more. The new funding adds to over $150,000 in existing financial support from East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, Meyer Memorial Trust and the City of Gresham.

Add a rain garden! When: Sat May 19, 2012 9AM-1PM Mt. Hood Community College Town and Gown Room 26000 SE Stark Gresham, OR Get Map!

Build your own rain garden at home to help reduce water pollution and create urban habitat for birds and butterflies.

Free Workshop
This free workshop explores the role rain gardens can play in urban stream restoration, while adding beautiful landscaping to your yard. Participants will learn how to site, plan and build a rain garden. Registration is required and space is limited.

Frogs, frogs & frogs! When: Wed Apr 11, 2012 5PM-6PM Where: Columbia Slough Water Quality Facility 19595 NE Sandy Blvd Get Map!

Join the fun
Bring the whole family to a hidden wetland in Gresham in search of cold, slimy, and fun frogs.

With amphibian scientist Laura Guderyahn from the City of Gresham, learn about a frog’s life cycle and use a net to hunt for amphibians in the water.

Recommended for kids aged 4+ with their parents; pre-registration requested. $5/family suggested donation to host Columbia Slough Watershed Council.

Radon gas occurs naturally. It is present in nearly all soil and rock; you can't see, smell or taste it - but it's there.

Radon forms when uranium breaks down to radium, which in turn breaks down to form radon. As radon decays, it releases radioactive byproducts that are inhaled. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking -- and the number one reason why non-smokers die of lung cancer. It's estimated to be responsible for over 21,000 deaths annually in the United States.

Radon enters a home through cracks in walls, basement floors, foundations and other openings. Once inside, radon can become trapped and build up to unsafe levels, especially in areas below ground-level. Nationwide it's estimated that 1 in every 15 homes has elevated radon levels. In the Portland / Vancouver area that number can skyrocket to 1 in 4 homes.

Rain Garden, Functional beauty

Lots of Creative Ideas When: Sat Sep 10, 2011 9AM-1PM Where: (Multiple locations) Meet at Main City Park, Springwater Trail parking Gresham, OR Get Map!

Rain garden: Landscaping that absorbs water from your roof or driveway

Free Tour
Join the Johnson Creek Watershed Council and the City of Gresham's Watershed Division on a tour of Hollybrook Neighborhood rain gardens. Learn about native plants, natural gardening and building your own rain garden at home to help improve water quality and wildlife habitat.

Registration required. Meet at the Main City Park Springwater Trail parking lot in Gresham at 9AM. Tour will go until noon. Bring supplies for a picnic in Main City Park from noon until 1PM. Please wear a helmet and bring a water bottle and sunscreen.

What are these things? Click to enlarge

Beauty meets functionality Born in Portland, Stormwater planters are being replicated nationwide for their 'green' stormwater management

Let The Rains Begin

With the rainy season upon us it seems appropriate to explore some recent roadside changes in our area.

Q. Have you noticed the new curbside planters popping-up everywhere and wondered what they are, and what's their purpose?

A. They're Stormwater planters. And are being installed to manage street stormwater runoff and improve the water quality of area rivers and streams.

Managing Stormwater, Naturally

Stormwater planters are a natural stormwater management approach that uses plants and soil to slow, filter, and cleanse stormwater from streets. Traditional stormwater management directs runoff into pipes. Stormwater planters disconnect street stormwater runoff from a storm sewer and manages it at its source, where rain falls, using a landscape approach.

Nationally Recognized Program Pioneered in 2005 by the City of Portland's "12th Avenue Green Street Project," stormwater planters are now used extensively throughout Portland neighborhoods and urban areas. In fact, stormwater planters are so effective at managing stormwater runoff that cities all across the nation are following Portland's footsteps.

12th Ave Green Streets Project Click to enlarge

Since 2005 the City of Portland has received many awards for its innovative designs and has become the recognized leader in green stormwater management.

Stormwater planters protect water quality in rivers and streams by removing up to 90% of pollutants. They replenish groundwater supplies, absorb carbon, improve air quality and improve neighborhood aesthetics.