Willamette River
Latest Stories
Environment
Portland considers joining international Swimmable Cities movement
After working for years to make the Willamette River safe for swimming, Portland is considering joining the Australia-based nonprofit Swimmable Cities in the push to clean up urban waterways worldwide.
Body of missing kayaker found in Willamette River
Investigators believe they have recovered the body of a 20-year-old man who went missing while kayaking in the Willamette River last month.
Portland
Search for missing kayaker continues in Willamette River
Emergency responders were still searching Monday for a California man who went missing while kayaking in the Willamette River over the weekend.
Pressure builds on Army Corps to produce years-late reports on Willamette River Basin dams
New federal study shows dams harming endangered salmon as Congress pushed for action.
Oregon Field Guide
Urban naturalist Mike Houck tracks great blue herons on the Willamette River
Longtime advocate Mike Houck reflects on a career of restoring nature in Portland while taking "Oregon Field Guide" on an urban safari to track the lifecycle of the great blue heron.
Science & Environment
Portland celebrates a year of not polluting the Willamette River with sewage
Portland's sewer system combines sewage and runoff into the same pipes. Sometimes heavy rains cause those pipes to overflow. But a sewer overhaul 14 years ago has drastically reduced this pollution.
Science & Environment
Hydroelectric dams on Oregon’s Willamette River kill salmon. Congress says it’s time to consider shutting them down
The newly signed legislation follows reporting from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica that underscored the risks and costs associated with a plan to migrate salmon past hydroelectric dams using a giant fish collector and tanker trucks.
Portland Christmas Ships celebrate 70 years on the water
The floating parades, among Portland’s longest-running holiday traditions, started as a one-person show.
Willamette River seeing record numbers of coho salmon
It’s a great time to go fishing in Western Oregon. But recent runs of coho salmon have set a record … and … spawned a mystery.
Indigenous nations hold ceremony in Portland to breathe healing into Willamette River
During an Indigenous-led Water Ceremony at Cathedral Park on Sept. 8, hundreds gathered on the shores of the Willamette River as Indigenous community members from across Turtle Island and beyond offered song, dance and prayer to help heal the water.
