WatershedEvents

Lake Oswego (etc.) - Field Notes: 3/24/2010

 
 
 Jennifer Marie Nelson walks the wooden water main below Lake Oswego Dam

Toured the Tualatin watershed with Jennifer Marie Nelson today. She’s in the area this week, partly for spring break and partly to work on some details of her thesis. We went to a number of places in Lake Oswego, walked Tualatin and Durham Parks, and also walked a portion of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. End of day found us at Jackson Bottom, too late to view the eagle’s nest as it turned out. I had hoped to show her the re-meandered area at Greenway Park but by the time we got back from JB it was past dinner time, so we packed it in. Jennifer is an ideal scouting companion – good to talk to, great at preparing routes and reading maps, interested in lots of different stuff, and just generally low maintenance. She’s also a good photographer, and while the contrast and general sun-angle we worked with today were troublesome my guess is she got some good shots. I can’t wait to see them. Below are a few I took, including some of the large wooden water main that apparently moves water from the Lake Oswego dam to the power plant downstream. Anyone able to fill in more details on that particular item? I have had very little luck on Google so far.

In the ravine below the wooden pipe lies the original stream bed of Sucker Creek

The pipe leaks in numerous places, but considering its probable age (c1914?) is in great shape 

<<___>>

Jennifer talks with Micellis Doyle, USGS, who took us down to see the Lake Oswego diversion dam on the Tualatin

 Below, the diversion dam itself

<<__>> 

We visited Tualatin Park and took this shot of native/invasive plants of similar habits (Oregon Grape vs. Holly)

 We also crossed Ki-A-Kuts Bridge into Durham Park and took a look at the 2 18" pipes on its underside

 
 These pipes connect CWS's Durham facility with its new pumping station in Tualatin

Badly installed/maintained sediment fence near the bridge (on the Tualatin side and just N of the new pump)

<<___>> 

At the refuge we managed to spot s few critters including...

 

And my favorite shot of the day...  

 <<___>>

Tomorrow two of the grandchildren (Chloe and Jake) arrive for a four day visit. Weather permitting the three of us will make a trip over to the refuge. What a great facility! Something Jennifer and I noticed that made us both smile - there's a bus stop right at the entrance! How cool is that? 

Pacific Sideband (Monadenia fidelis)?

 Pacific Side Band snail - shot taken in October '09

Buddy and I encountered one of these critters during our morning walk today. The location was along 
 Raab Road, just above the place where a small and unnamed fork of Sylvan Creek exits the plumbing running under Sunset Highway. The background is a concrete wall that runs all the way along Raab in this area. The wall itself is about hip high and then crowned with a metal railing about 2 feet high. 

The snails seem to congregate in this area, possibly because moisture rising from the small stream bed 20 feet below favors the production of more moss on this rough concrete surface during warmer periods. Also, this area of the wall was once damaged somehow a couple of years ago and the surface characteristics are unique to this spot. 

I had many encounters with snails in this area last October and then discovered one in my backyard. I think they are beautiful creatures.