Local Environment
THE CLACKAMAS PRINT
May 3, 1989
Page 6
Volunteer effort cleans Willamette River
by Jim Titus
Copyeditor
The
Willamette River
received a hearty spring cleaning
last Saturday in an effort that
involved environmentalists, local
officials, and industry.
The cleanup, sponsored by
the Polystyrene Packaging
Council, National Council on
Solid Waste Disposal and Stop
Oregon Litter and Vandalism
(SOLV), covered 27 miles of the
Willamette from Oregon City to
the river’s confluence with the
Columbia near Kelly Point Park.
The project was researched and
developed by the John Inskeep
Environmental Learning Center,
which is located on the campus
of Clackamas
Community
College.
Approximately 75 volunteers
picked up debris along the banks
of the river. ELC Director Jerry
Herrmann pointed out that the
small number of people involved
shows that, "it would take a
relatively small commitment from
communities to clean up their
areas (along the river). You
could easily do this on an annual
basis."
The debris collected in the
operation was taken to the
Environmental Learning Center,
where Herrmann and volunteers
from Portland State University
will analyze the garbage.
Herrmann hopes to determine
what kind of material makes up
the bulk of the debris and use
that information to help educate
the public about the necessity of
a clean environment.
According to Sgt. Dick Baker
of the Marine Patrol, most of the
waste found in the river comes
from recreational users.
Fishermen often use items such
as plastic milk jugs and zip-lock
bags to help float their bait
farther away from their boats.
Once the fishermen are done
with the makeshift devices they
are simply discarded in the river,
posing a hazard to wildlife that
live in the water and along the
shore. Small animals can become
trapped in the plastic containers.
Even an item as seemingly
harmless as a plastic "six-pack"
binder can be harmful, acting as
a sort of "gill-net" and trapping
fish that try to swim through the
binder’s holes.
"Our impact is dynamic. Every
time we do something we change
the environment," explained
Baker. Baker pointed out that
the problem with debris is a
behavioral one, and that people
need to be trained not to dispose
of waste in the river.
Destruction of vegetation
along the banks of the river pose
another threat to wildlife,
according to Ed Ciliberti, a
public affairs officer with the
Bureau of Land Management
Plants that thrive on the banks
of rivers are often destroyed for
cosmetic reasons by homeowners
who live along the waterfront
"Vegetation is important to
maintain as a wildlife habitat.
This vegetation is also important
because it traps water runoff and
slowly releases it during dry
periods," Ciliberti remarked.
In order to help replace some
of the lost vegetation, cleanup
volunteers also planted willow
cuttings along the river.
Several local politicians and
members of industry got a chance
to view the cleanup first-hand
during a chartered boat trip from
Oregon City to Swan Island. The
trip was funded by the Amoco
Foam Products Company and
included a catered lunch provided
by Irwin Research, a company
specializing in plastic containers.
The group, which included
Mayor Roger Hall of Milwaukie,
Dennis Denton of Denton
Plastics, and members of the city
councils of Oregon City and
West Linn, had an opportunity
to view wildlife habitats along the
Willamette while listening to
commentary on the history and
biology of the river. The group
also made a stop at Sellwood
Riverfront Park, where they
picked up debris and planted
willow cuttings.
Photos by Jim Titus
Saturday. The cleanup was developed by the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center and
sponsored by several plastic Industry and environmental groups.
Styrofoam cups like this one create a hazard for wildlife when
discarded In the river.
inches
1
39.12
13.24
15.07
2
65.43
18.11
18.72
3
49.87
-4.34
-22.29
4
44.26
-13.80
22.85
5
55.56
9.82
-24.49
D50 Illuminant, 2 degree observer
6
70.82
-33.43
-0.35
7
63.51
34.26
59.60
8
39.92
11.81
-46.07
9
52.24
48.55
18.51
10
97.06
-0.40
1.13
11(A)
92.02
-0.60
0.23
12
87.34
-0.75
0.21
13
82.14
-1.06
0.43
14
72.06
-1.19
0.28
15
62.15
-1.07
0.19