KELLY CREEK DAM REMOVAL MOVES FORWARD

With $7 million secured, MHCC's habitat restoration project enters its final design phase, with students invited to help shape the future of Kelly Creek.

By Lee Delay

The Advocate

A decades-old dam on Mt. Hood Community College’s Gresham campus could soon be removed as part of a multi-million dollar habitat restoration project aimed at restoring local waterways, improving accessibility and potentially bringing salmon back to Kelly Creek.

Direct passage flowing from Kelly Creek is slowed by the dam, creating Mt. Hood's pond at the centre of MHCC. Photo by Aung Pyae Lin

The Kelly River Dam has stood at the center of Mt. Hood Community College Gresham campus since 1968. It is located between the main campus buildings and the south health and athletics buildings. In 2019 the college underwent an initial feasibility survey looking at the possibilities of removing the dam and restoring the creek and its surroundings.

In the years since, MHCC has partnered with several organizations including East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, Metro and the Resources Legacy Fund, to move that project forward.

The project team has secured approximately $7 million, with plans to seek an additional $1 million to $3 million in grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to complete its funding. The proposed restoration project would replace the existing dam crossing with a pedestrian bridge connecting central and south portions of the campus.  The project also aims to restore the stream and its natural floodplain, reduce water temperatures in Beaver and Kelly creeks, and address polluted stormwater runoff entering the watershed from Kane Rd.

For students, the project could improve ADA accessibility and create new viewing points for Kelly Creek. It could also provide additional education and workforce development opportunities for students during construction and through ongoing environmental monitoring after the project is complete.

The other side of Kelly Creek Dam connecting to the Creek. Photo by Aung Pyae Lin

The restoration could also benefit native fish populations. Historically, salmon used Kelly and Beaver creeks as spawning grounds, but warmer temperatures, pollution and barriers to passage have contributed to their decline. Restoring the waterways could create conditions that allow them to return.

Currently, a site user survey has been created and will soon be accessed with QR codes on temporary signs being placed near the Kelly Creek Dam. These signs will also have information about the species that use the area and historical information about the location. The project team is hoping that student input can help inform them during the final design stages of the project, which as expected to run through December 2027.

Provided that the remaining funding can be secured for construction, the project is expected to begin the construction phase in 2028 with a completion in 2029. While the construction will have an impact on students, the project hopes to restore a needed part of the wildlife habitats around the Kelly Creek watershed.