Portland Metro · Oregon

Improving Portland,
Watershed by Watershed

Five project sites across the Portland metro — where creek trails run behind big-box clusters and watershed councils have documented the demand. Portland Clean Energy Fund is distributing $60M in 2026 community grants. Nike, Intel, Columbia, and Meyer Memorial Trust anchor an EJ+workforce funding ecosystem few metros match.

Fund a Portland Project See the Sites ↓
5
Project Sites
Identified
3
Watersheds
Covered
5
EJ
Communities
20+
Local Partners
Identified
Why Portland

Where Watershed Councils Meet Retail Corridors

Portland's dense watershed-council infrastructure, extreme jurisdictional fragmentation, and strong civic environmental ethos reliably generate orphaned behind-the-mall corridors. Five watershed councils and Metro's regional parks system create a partner ecosystem few metros match.

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Fragmented Jurisdiction
BES, Parks, PBOT, ODOT, Metro, county drainage districts, THPRD, Clean Water Services, Port of Portland, and private retail each own their slice. The Columbia Slough's jurisdictional gap was explicitly named by KGW news. No single entity maintains the orphan zones where commercial litter meets waterways.
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EJ Communities & Climate Justice
Rockwood is on the White House CEJST Disadvantaged Community list. The Columbia Slough borders majority-minority East Portland tracts shaped by the 1948 Vanport flood and Albina redlining. Portland Clean Energy Fund's $60M 2026 grants pool is purpose-built for climate + economic justice framing.
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Deep Environmental Funding
Portland Clean Energy Fund ($60M), Meyer Memorial Trust, Oregon Community Foundation, Trail Blazers Foundation LIVE Greener ($25K), PGE Foundation, Spirit Mountain Community Fund — plus Nike, Intel, Columbia, New Seasons, Dave's Killer Bread, and Bob's Red Mill corporate giving. Uniquely deep for environmental + workforce framing.
Project Sites

Five Corridors, Three Watersheds

Each site pairs a paved trail with a creek or slough where fragmented jurisdiction between watershed councils, parks districts, ODOT, Metro, and private retail creates the gap. Click any card for full details.

Recommended First

Fanno Creek Trail — Greenway Park

Beaverton / Greenway, OR 97008

The trail "skirts Fanno Creek behind businesses" with Washington Square Mall 0.4 miles east across Highway 217. Five-way jurisdictional orphan between THPRD, Clean Water Services, ODOT, City of Beaverton, and private parcels. A volunteer documented removing 300–400 cigarette butts per day along this zone. Nike HQ is 3 miles away.

Visual Impact: 9/10Feasibility: 7/10
Closest Poway Match

Columbia Slough — Costco Corridor

East Portland / Parkrose 97230

The single cleanest template match in the Portland metro — Costco anchors a big-box cluster with a documented slough-side corridor directly behind the lot. CSWC removed 186 cubic yards of trash, 51 needles, and 98 tires in 2023. KGW explicitly named the three-way jurisdictional gap. The watershed council welcomes partners.

Visual Impact: 8/10Feasibility: 10/10
Site Confirmed

Gresham-Fairview Trail — Grant Butte Wetlands

Gresham / Rockwood, OR 97030

Paved trail plus creek plus PGE powerline corridor, sandwiched between Gresham Station big-box retail and Rockwood — Portland's premier federally-designated EJ community on the White House CEJST list. Multnomah County received ~$1M EPA grant targeting Rockwood. Metro invested $5.4M acquiring the wetlands.

Visual Impact: 9/10Feasibility: 8/10
Lowest Risk

Crystal Springs Creek — Westmoreland Park

SE Portland / Sellwood-Moreland 97202

Portland's signature salmon-recovery success story (APA 2015 Excellence Award). Crystal Springs Partnership runs monthly 4th-Sunday work parties. New Seasons Market is 0.2 miles away. The lowest-risk, most family-friendly site in the portfolio — recommended as MarketFoundry's first Portland event.

Visual Impact: 9/10Feasibility: 9/10
Site Confirmed

Ash Creek at Metzger — Washington Square South

Metzger / Tigard, OR 97223

A volunteer documented cleaning six abandoned camps containing 5–6 tons of trash along Ash Creek — the strongest individual dumping signal in the report. Creek flows through unincorporated Metzger directly south of Washington Square Mall. Exceptional jurisdictional orphan between Washington County, City of Tigard, and private apartment parcels.

Visual Impact: 9/10Feasibility: 9/10
From Funding to Impact

How a Project Gets Completed

Every project follows the same documented process. Your donation triggers real, trackable action.

1
Site Confirmed
Location scouted, access verified, safety risks assessed, CSO schedules checked, local partners contacted.
2
Crew Organized
Local crew assembled with grabbers, puncture-resistant gloves, snake gaiters, hi-vis vests, and sharps containers.
3
Project Executed
3–5 hour cleanup with 4–6 crew. Before photos on arrival. All debris bagged and hauled.
4
Results Documented
During and after photos captured. Bags counted, carts and tires logged, metrics recorded.
5
Report Published
Full project page with before/during/after gallery, metrics, crew details, and sponsor recognition.
Where the Money Goes

What Your Donation Funds

Every dollar goes directly to project execution. No overhead, no middleman.

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Crew Wages
Paid crew members earning real wages — workforce training, not volunteerism.
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Equipment & Supplies
Grabbers, contractor bags, puncture-resistant gloves, sharps containers, hi-vis vests, puncture-resistant gloves.
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Project Coordination
Scouting, partner outreach, encampment assessment, 311 follow-up, and crew scheduling.
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Documentation
Before/during/after photography, metrics tracking, and published project reports.

Based in the Portland Area?

If you're a local business, waterway organization, or community group that wants to help bring one of these projects to life — as a sponsor, partner, or crew participant — we'd love to connect.

Get in Touch →
Recommended First Project

Fanno Creek Trail — Greenway Park

Beaverton / Greenway, OR 97008
Access Point
Greenway Park east lot at SW Hall Blvd, Beaverton, OR 97008
Secondary entry behind Creekside 7 complex at 8605 SW Creekside Place. Paved and wheelchair-accessible trail.
Why This Site
The trail literally "skirts Fanno Creek behind businesses in the Creekside 7 complex" while Washington Square's Macy's, JCPenney, and Nordstrom sit ~0.4 miles east across Highway 217. Five-way jurisdictional orphan between THPRD, Clean Water Services, ODOT, City of Beaverton, and private business parcels. A volunteer documented removing 300–400 cigarette butts per day along this zone.
What to Expect
Fast-food wrappers and cups from Nimbus/Scholls Ferry drive-throughs, wind-blown retail packaging, bottles and cans in blackberry thickets, high-density cigarette butts, seasonal flood-deposited debris at the Scholls Ferry underpass, occasional tarps and sleeping bags.
Cleanup Structure
Start at Greenway Park Hall Blvd lot, work north through Koll Center Wetlands to Denney Rd trailhead (~1.1 miles one-way), return. Two sub-teams: paved trail with grabbers, creek-bank pairs on THPRD-permitted paths. 4–6 crew, 3.5–4 hours.
Safety Notes
Avoid November–February after heavy rain (underpass floods). Low-to-moderate sharps risk. Nutria present; active beaver dams — do not disturb. Alert THPRD park security ahead of event. Lower encampment risk than inner Portland but scout day-of.
Community Impact
Fanno Creek is a Tualatin River tributary feeding the drinking water source for 500,000+ residents. Greenway neighborhood has significant immigrant and renter populations. Nike HQ is ~3 miles away — Nike Community Impact Fund distributes ~$550K annually across Portland metro.
Local Partners
THPRD Nature & TrailsClean Water ServicesTualatin RiverkeepersSOLVE OregonFans of Fanno Creek
Scores
9/10
Visual Impact
7/10
Feasibility
Fund This Project →
Closest Poway Match

Columbia Slough — Costco Corridor

East Portland / Parkrose 97230
Access Point
Costco Wholesale, 4849 NE 138th Avenue, Portland, OR 97230
Walk to Columbia Slough Trail running behind the NE corner of Costco lot toward NE 148th. Coordinate exact sub-segment with CSWC day-of.
Why This Site
The single cleanest template match in the Portland metro. Costco anchors a big-box cluster (WinCo, Walmart, Home Depot within 0.5 miles) with a documented slough-side corridor directly behind the lot. CSWC removed 186 cubic yards of trash, 51 needles, 98 tires across 18 cleanups in 2023. KGW explicitly named the three-way jurisdictional gap between Dept. of State Lands, Port of Portland, and City of Portland.
What to Expect
Fast-food packaging, single-use plastics, shopping-cart debris, cans/bottles, tires, propane tanks, clothing, tarps. Sharps present — full kit required (16+ only per CSWC protocol).
Cleanup Structure
Stage at Costco NE lot corner, surface-only cleanup along the 0.3-mile paved trail segment closest to commercial lot. Do not venture west under I-205 or toward Airport Way shoulder. 4–6 crew (16+ only), 3–4 hours.
Safety Notes
Surface only — Columbia Slough sediment is a DEQ cleanup site with PCB, pesticide, and PFOS contamination. No wading, no digging, no sediment disturbance. Sharps container required; nitrile plus puncture-resistant gloves mandatory. Moderate encampment risk on Airport Way side — stay Costco-lot-side. Buddy system mandatory.
Community Impact
Lower Columbia Slough borders majority-minority East Portland census tracts (Parkrose, Argay, Wilkes). Watershed history includes the 1948 Vanport flood that destroyed the Black community in this floodplain and redlining-driven displacement from Albina. Adjacent to PDX airport pollution, I-205, and industrial facilities.
Local Partners
Columbia Slough Watershed CouncilSOLVE OregonMetro RID PatrolPort of PortlandEast Multnomah SWCD
Scores
8/10
Visual Impact
10/10
Feasibility
Fund This Project →
Site Confirmed

Gresham-Fairview Trail — Grant Butte Wetlands

Gresham / Rockwood, OR 97030
Access Point
Linneman Station Trailhead, 3804 W Powell Loop, Gresham, OR 97030
Secondary parking at Cinemark/Kohl's lot on NW Civic Drive near Civic Drive MAX Station. Walk west to trail pedestrian overpass over Powell Boulevard.
Why This Site
Paved multiuse trail plus creek plus PGE powerline corridor, sandwiched between Gresham Station big-box retail (Kohl's, Big 5, Cinemark, Best Buy), Powell Boulevard commercial strip, MAX light rail, and Rockwood EJ residential. No single entity owns maintenance — Gresham Parks, Metro, ODOT, PGE, TriMet, and private retailers all fragment responsibility. Rockwood is on the White House CEJST Disadvantaged Community list.
What to Expect
Fast-food wrappers and Big Gulp cups from Cinemark/Gresham Station, plastic bottles and aluminum cans, chip bags, shopping-cart-adjacent dumping, cigarette butts near MAX, occasional tires and mattresses near PGE access road, blackberry-embedded plastic bags.
Cleanup Structure
Two sub-crews: one works north from Powell overpass toward Division along trail edge; other sweeps PGE access track and creek fringe. ~1 mile of trail plus laterals; 4–6 crew, 3.5 hours. Best timing: late summer/early fall.
Safety Notes
Low-to-moderate encampment risk — documented use-trails into cottonwoods south of Division. Do not enter dense-brush use-trails. Stick to paved trail, PGE access road, and open wetland edges. Poison hemlock and Himalayan blackberry — long sleeves and thick gloves mandatory. Yellow jackets in late summer. Muddy October–May.
Community Impact
Rockwood has Gresham's youngest median age, greatest diversity, and highest poverty concentration. Fairview Creek discharges to Fairview Lake then Columbia Slough (303(d) impaired). Framing: "Cleaning the behind-the-mall creek where Rockwood kids bike to school." Unlocks Meyer Memorial Trust, Portland Clean Energy Fund, and PGE Foundation.
Local Partners
Friends of Grant Butte WetlandsRosewood InitiativeRockwood CDCEast Multnomah SWCDFriends of Trees
Scores
7/10
Visual Impact
8/10
Feasibility
Fund This Project →
Lowest Risk

Crystal Springs Creek — Westmoreland Park

SE Portland / Sellwood-Moreland 97202
Access Point
Westmoreland Park, 7530 SE 22nd Ave, Portland, OR 97202
Main lot at SE 22nd Ave and SE Nehalem St. Overflow parking along SE Bybee Blvd. Restrooms available.
Why This Site
Portland's signature salmon-recovery success story — APA 2015 Excellence in Sustainability Award. Crystal Springs Partnership runs monthly 4th-Sunday work parties for trash removal and native planting. New Seasons Market is 0.2 miles away. BES and Army Corps invested $2M in the 2013–2016 restoration. The lowest-risk, most family-friendly site in the portfolio.
What to Expect
Shopping bags and cups blown in from Bybee corridor businesses, trail litter, small dumped items on unofficial paths, duck-pond legacy debris in bank vegetation, bottles and cans concentrated near picnic areas. A neighbor pulled a car battery charger from the creek.
Cleanup Structure
Crew splits — 2 along creek banks within park, 2 along path to Bybee bridge (under-bridge high-accumulation zone), 1–2 along McLoughlin frontage. ~0.75 mile total; 4–6 crew, 3–4 hours. Family-friendly — children possible with adult supervisor.
Safety Notes
Lowest-risk site in the portfolio. Crystal Springs is spring-fed, cold, and cleaner than Johnson Creek — but do not wade without closed-toe water shoes. No recent encampment activity. Watch for aggressive waterfowl and nutria. Avoid bank work October–February (salmon spawning) without BES coordination.
Community Impact
Not a deep EJ community (Sellwood/Westmoreland are moderate-to-higher income), but Westmoreland is Portland's signature salmon-recovery success story. Frame as "protect the salmon comeback" and connect downstream to Lents EJ communities via the Johnson Creek confluence.
Local Partners
Crystal Springs PartnershipJohnson Creek Watershed CouncilBES Salmon-SafeSMILENew Seasons Market
Scores
9/10
Visual Impact
7/10
Feasibility
Fund This Project →
Site Confirmed

Ash Creek at Metzger — Washington Square South

Metzger / Tigard, OR 97223
Access Point
Metzger Park, 8400 SW Hemlock St, Portland, OR 97223
Cleanup corridor extends to SW Shady Lane and 95th Ave. Pre-arrange Metro RID Patrol pickup for oversized items.
Why This Site
A volunteer documented cleaning six abandoned camps containing 5–6 tons of trash along Ash Creek — pallets, mattresses, furniture, car parts, plus apartment dumping. Ash Creek flows through unincorporated Metzger directly south of Washington Square Mall. Exceptional jurisdictional orphan between Washington County, City of Tigard, and private apartment parcels. USGS monitors ongoing water-quality impairment.
What to Expect
Heaviest debris of any site in the portfolio — pallets, mattresses, furniture, car parts, apartment-origin dumping, retail parking lot blow-off, commercial dumper debris. Possible needles and camp remnants.
Cleanup Structure
Two sub-crews along ~1 mile of creek plus laterals to Shady Lane/95th. Pre-arrange Metro RID Patrol pickup at Shady Lane corner for oversized items. Bring cart or wagon for heavy debris. 5–6 crew, 4 hours.
Safety Notes
Full PPE required — possible needles, sharps, broken glass. Camp remnants possible — do not enter active camps; coordinate with Washington County Sheriff and City of Tigard ahead. Ash Creek floods seasonally — avoid wet season.
Community Impact
Metzger is an unincorporated urban-services pocket with more lower-income and renter demographics than incorporated Tigard — a clear EJ match. Ash Creek flows to Fanno to the Tualatin drinking-water watershed. Washington Square Mall (Macerich) is the natural corporate sponsor as nearest commercial beneficiary.
Local Partners
Washington County ParksMetro RID PatrolCity of Tigard ParksClean Water ServicesMetzger Park LID
Scores
7/10
Visual Impact
8/10
Feasibility
Fund This Project →