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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Columbia Slough Watershed Council

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Columbia Slough Watershed Council

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Columbia Slough Watershed Council connects the community with the watershed through education, recreation, and restoration.

To protect and enhance the Columbia Slough and its watershed through community engagement, education, and restoration.

09/22/2026

You’ve probably heard of our partners at the Flood Safety District, but you might wonder, what exactly do they do? 🤔

The The Flood Safety District helps protect lives and property from flooding by operating and maintaining flood management systems for nearly 13,000 acres of land along the Columbia Slough and the lower Columbia River.

One way they do this is by moving water throughout the Slough. They monitor and maintain pump stations and clear debris and other blockages from the conveyance systems. Earlier this summer, the Flood Safety District helped us clear our logs and vegetation near Whitaker Ponds, so Mermaid Cove is now accessible! As we move into fall and the rainy season, the District will continue to clear more logs, leaves, and other debris to ensure their pump stations can run continuously during heavy rain 🌧️

09/17/2026

After three years of partnering with fourth grade classes at Woodland elementary, we love to see all the different plants that are thriving in the sheet mulch project located on the north side of the playground. The health of these plants is due in large part to the summer care they have received from Multnomah Youth Cooperative 💧 🌱 💚

Thank you also to Ash Creek for doing so much blackberry removal work on this campus!

Biodiversity will continue to expand here at Woodland this year, and we are looking forward to it!

09/16/2026

Free yard trees are just a few clicks away! 🍁
Portland residents are eligible to apply for up to 3 yard trees, adding shade, beautiful foliage, and habitat to your yard, place of worship, or business. And applications are open NOW!

Every fall, Urban Forestry gives away thousands of trees to Portland residents, and CSWC is working with them to help get the word out 🌳 Trees come with a free bucket of mulch too!

There will be six events for you to pick up your trees between Sept 26th-Oct 24th. Planting is available for people needing accommodation.

Get trees now while there’s plenty remaining! ➡️Head to the link in our bio to apply now! 🌲

09/15/2026

Join CSWC next Tuesday September 22nd for a bingo night fundraiser at Level B**r! The first round is free; after that, it’s $2 per bingo sheet or 3 for $5. You can buy as many bingo sheets as you want. We’ll have five rounds with prizes for the winners to choose from each round. Bring your family, bring your friends, have a drink, and let’s bingo!
RSVP link in our bio ➡️

08/28/2026

CSWC is now accepting in-kind donations for our end of year fundraiser! 🎁 Can you or your business donate a gift basket, a gift card, a voucher, or another item for a raffle or auction? We’d love to hear from you! All items will help us raise funds for our free programs.

As a thank you, we’ll include your business name or logo on the fundraiser webpage, include your name in campaign emails, and in our Annual Report. Donations accepted now through October 15.

Have an item? Email our Development Manager or DM us!

08/16/2026

Good news Slough Crew

A stretch of Whitaker Slough that has been difficult to access for years is now open thanks to The Flood Safety District! For the past 5 years, logs and built up vegetation have made it nearly impossible for people to paddle east up Whitaker Slough from the dock at Whitaker Ponds.

This week, The Flood Safety District staff cleared logs and vegetation so we can visit once again.

If you go far enough, you might notice an area full of underwater springs releasing super cool clear water into our middle slough. We like to call that spot Mermaid Cove because there’s a tiny mermaid decoration on a resident’s fence you can spot when you’re there. Thank you to paddle team member Stephen Miller for coming up with the name!

Thanks again The Flood Safety District and have fun everyone!

07/20/2026

Join Columbia Slough Watershed Council’s Education Director, Jennifer Starkey, and Reneé Heister of Blue Moon Camera and Machine for a two part outdoor film photography workshop where participants will learn how to use this 100% mechanical classic medium format camera in a beautiful riparian zone. This event is for those 16 and older. Beginners VERY welcome, but all experience levels can sign up.

This series will take place at Whitaker Ponds Nature Park on Sunday, August 2, and Sunday, August 16, both from 10am - 12pm. By registering for this event, you are signing up for August 2nd and August 16th. Please commit to attending both days.

Class Description:

In Part 1 the workshop will cover Holga film cameras, how to load them, focus, and take photos in different lighting, and more - all without batteries or data! Time will be given to participants to explore the park and use a full roll of Kodak Gold 200 film. You will leave the roll of film with Blue Moon to be developed.

In Part 2, on August 16, we will review the developed photos, discuss how to improve focus, etc, and then get on the water for a group paddle and to take more photos. At the end of the 2nd class, participants will receive a coupon to develop their 2nd roll of film at Blue Moon in downtown St Johns. 🎞️

Sign up at columbiaslough.org/events or check out at the linktree in our bio 🔗 📷 🛶

06/18/2026

We have a few spots left for this Saturday’s BIPOC Solstice Gathering!

Join Misako from Temenos Rising and Columbia Slough Watershed Council for a free transformative gathering designed specifically as a safe and grounded space for the BIPOC community to slow down, receive nature’s nourishment and honor our deep connection to Earth. This is an opportunity to align with the energy of the Summer Solstice to embrace peak energy of the Yang fire.

Misako will offer gentle Qigong (Chee gong), nature connection, and somatic mindfulness practices that invite a deeper connection with our inner landscapes and with Mother Nature.

Please register via link in Linktree.

Event Details: Saturday June 20th, 1-3pm at Columbia Children’s Arboretum. 10040 NE 6th Dr.

06/17/2026

How did we land on reducing the lawn by 35% and not more?

It wasn’t about removing turf entirely. It was about finding the right balance. The The Flood Safety District demonstration garden still needs to work for people — supporting circulation, visibility, and creating space for people to gather and connect at outdoor events, like Slough Celebration last Saturday! At the same time, any changes needed to match long-term maintenance capacity and feel realistic to care for over time.

Phoenix Habitats also looked for opportunities to incorporate existing ornamental plantings, retaining what was already working and blending it into the new design to add structure, familiarity, and visual appeal.

The result? A thoughtful balance between aesthetics and functionality — where the landscape looks inviting, works better for water, and still meets the needs of the space.

06/12/2026

Slough Celebration is tomorrow! We look forward to seeing you at the Flood Safety District from 2-6pm for a day of fun in the sun ☀️ We are excited to work with El Sombrero Tapatio and Selena’s Custom Kitchen to bring delicious, free food options! There will also be canoe paddles, face painting, bird watching, partner organizations tabling, a raffle, and free drinks from Swire Coca-Cola
🛶
Scroll through to see a sneak peek of raffle items, Slough Celebration T-shirts, and bandanas that will be available at the event! Plus, this weekend is your last chance to win awesome prizes when you donate to the Council. All funds go directly into making more free programs possible!

Address

7040 NE 47th Avenue
Portland, OR
97218

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15032811132

Website

http://www.columbiaslough.org/

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