From: portlandgeneral.com/about/fish-wildlife-habitats/harborton-habitat-restoration
Harborton is a 74-acre PGE property located along the Willamette River in Northwest Portland’s industrial corridor. The site includes both wetlands and a PGE substation, and is a prime location for restoring wildlife habitat within the Portland Harbor Superfund site.
The site is one of the largest known breeding grounds for northern red-legged frogs, an amphibian species classified as “sensitive” by the state of Oregon. Additionally, the Harborton wetlands are situated where the Willamette River meets Multnomah Channel – a perfect spot for juvenile salmon to rest and grow on their way to the Pacific Ocean.
By constructing side-channel habitat for fish, removing invasive species and planting native vegetation, PGE plans to transform Harborton – property we’ve owned for 80 years – into a haven for wildlife.
Restoration activities began in June 2020, with most of the work finished before the end of the year. PGE will monitor and maintain the area for a decade after project completion, and the property will eventually be donated to a nonprofit for permanent protection. The site is closed to the public to help protect sensitive wildlife species and promote the growth of new plants.
Our restoration efforts include:
- Constructing a channel that connects the interior of the site to the Willamette River, providing rearing habitat for out-migrating juvenile salmonids and Pacific lamprey, both listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
- Placing 80,000 native plants and managing invasive species to restore and enhance the bottomland floodplain that was lost over time to industrial development.
- Preserving attractive breeding and rearing habitat for northern red-legged frogs.