PEN 2 projects

PENINSULA DRAINAGE DISTRICT NO. 2

Current:	Peninsula Canal Cross Levee. In 2007 the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), as part of its contract with the District to inspect the levees for recertification, determined that the cross levees on either side of the Peninsula Canal were deficient. For reasons that are not clear now, they had been taken off the USACE maintenance program several decades ago. The USACE said trees had to be removed in order for the levee to be eligible for recertification. Pen 2 and MCDD, which share the cross levee, agreed to remove trees on the East side (485) as opposed to the West side (1500) and get the east levee recertified. In the fall of 2007 trees and root wads were removed during the month of August and the levee was shaped with a maintenance bench and then hyrdo-seeded before the winter months arrived. Some trees, at the direction of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, were placed into the slough for use as turtle habitat. The original $165,000 contract will be followed in 2008 by the District Crews to complete the project. The additional cost in FY 2008-2009 will be a total of $50,000, shared between the Districts.

	Bridgeton Levee. The same certification investigation cited above was done on Bridgeton Levee by the USACE. It found trees needed to be removed in order for the levee to be recertified. The District, Bridgeton Neighborhood Association, City Forrester and the USAC are working on a plan to remove trees in the summer of 2008 and replant trees over a three year period to help with the neighborhood beautification. The cost of the project is estimated at up to $130,000 for tree removal and $225,000 for tree planting and fill to facilitate tree planting. The District must get the tree removal accomplished this year in order for the USACE and FEMA to certify the levees and show them as certified on the new DFIRM maps due out in September of 2009. The Bridgeton levee is unique in that it is a neighborhood for single and multiple housing developments built on the levee.

	Children's Arboretum Park. This 25 acre jewel of a park in Pen 2 underwent some construction in 2007. Partners inluding the Drainage District, City of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services and Parks and Recreation, the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, the Port of Portland, the Columbia Slough Watershed Council, the Columbia Corridor Association and private businesses all worked to fund the project. It removed two culverts and replaced them with foot birdges, and terraced and landscaped the dich from Sixth Street to Gertz Stree, approximately a mile in length. The trails and access roadways were (or will be) improved and new signs were fabricated for the park. Specials thanks goes to Dick and Gyrid Towle, neighborhood advocates, who sprearheded this project. They were awarded both the Naito Tree Award and the CSWC leadership Award for their efforts. Some road and grading work will be accomplished in 2008 to complete the project. About $16,000 of District funds went into this project. More information on the Children's Arboretum

Future:	While the District's pump stations are in good shape, its levees need attention. The Bridgeton levee needs to have its riverward side resurfaced and new riprap installed. That is estimated at a $1.8 million project. In addition, the Columbia Slough levee needs to be upgraded to accommodate the new design standards the USACE will be due to adopting soon. Several ditches need to be dredged. And culverts, which date back to 1940's installation, are deteriorating and collapsing and need to be replaced. Finally, the area around Portland Meadows Race Track may someday be replaced with new development. When that happens a new pump station will probably need to be built to handle the flows. The estimated costs for a 10-15 year Capital Improvement Plan is $8-$10M. The Board must determine how this will all be funded in a district where its annual budget is about $650,000. It is anticipated the USACE will be a partner in the repair of the levees.

	Lower Columbia Slough Rehabilitation

	Columbia River Levee Rehabilitation

	City Canal Levee Improvements

	Investigate Levee Toe Drains and Wells

	Culvert Replacement Plan

	NE 13th Pump Station Rehabilitation

	Trash Raking Systems for Pump Stations

	Secondary Power Girds to Pump Stations

	Feloma/Southshore Ditch to Pipe

	NE 13th Stormwater Truck Line and ditches

Completed:	West Gatenbein Ditch. In 2005 , the West Gatenbein ditch was improved when the invasive yellow-flag iris that was choking off any flows was killed off and hauled away, a new channel dredged and turtle habitat created. District crews did the work and private funds financed the $160,000 cost. A part of the project was to replace the old weir that allowed control of water flowing from North of Marine Drive to the South with a new state-of-art weir. It was designed by the district enginner and installed by district crew members.

	FedEx Bicycle Trail. In 2007, FedEx completed its new 50 acre distribution center on some of Anthony Fazio's property. One of the City's requirements of FedEx was to provide a paved pedestrian/bicyle trail atop the Pen 2 levee behind FedEx. The City, FedEx and the District partnered to get this done. The District's advantage is that with paving, the city will take over maintenance of the Trail and top of the levee, doing the moving. The City signed a hold harmless agreement with the District that says the City id Responsible for maintaining the paving, even if District equipment damages it.

	Peninsula Canal Plug Upgrade. The USACE identified a certification defiency at the plug which closed off the Columbia Slough from the Peninsula Slough. It was sloped to steep and needed to be reworked. The District partnered with MCDD in the work and placed 14,000 cubic yards of sand and top soil and 600 tons of rip rap to meet the federal levee design standards. This was accomplished in 2007 in time for the area to be hydro-seeded. The District then installed a fence and gate for secuity and to keep neighbor's horses confined. The total cost was $124,000 split fifty/fifty with MCDD.