After removing Kellogg Dam, restoration in the former lakebed will result in a naturalized, free-flowing Kellogg Creek and 14 acres of high-quality, native restoration in the area of the former lakebed.
Kellogg Lake neighbors and Milwaukie residents can expect to enjoy significant habitat changes that will benefit multiple native fish, plant, and wildlife communities.
The confluence of Kellogg Creek and the Willamette River is an ecologically dynamic area. After removing Kellogg Dam, the Willamette can be expected to backwater into the former lakebed seasonally. This backwater effect provides the most crucial off-channel habitat for juvinile Chinook salmon. Additionally, coho, cutthroat and steelhead will migrate through the site to access spawning grounds higher in the Kellogg-Mt Scott watershed.
Removing the dam will also change the composition of wildlife that refuge within the project area. Wood duck, mallard, belted kingfisher, green heron, great-blue heron, and red-winged blackbird would still be expected to use the area-though largely confined to the places that receive the greatest inundation. Perching birds like marsh wren and yellow throat that are dependant on marsh and riparian willow habitat can be expected as well. It’s also likely that beavers will play a role in both the habitat and hydrology at the site-as they have historically in the Pacific Northwest. For excellent descriptions of Herbaceous Wetland and Westside Riparian Wetland habitats, visit the Northwest Habitat Institute at http://www.nwhi.org/index/habdescriptions.
If you are interested in habitat friendly restoration projects on your streamside property or would like to get involved in grassroots initiatives to promote healthy streams and wetlands, please contact the North Clackamas Urban Watersheds Council (NCUWC). Find them on the web at www.ncuwc.org.
