FAQs
Falling trees are common in the Pacific Northwest, especially during wind and snow storms. Responsibility for the cleanup and damage from a tree depends on whose property the tree landed on – not where the tree originated. If a neighbor’s tree falls on your property, it’s your responsibility to deal with it, and if one of your trees falls on a neighbor’s property, well, then it’s their issue. Being a good neighbor is important, though, so hopefully you can work out a way to address the issue fairly. The same responsibilities apply for business property owners and public property owners, like the city, county, and state.
If flooding is a concern because of a tree that fell on your property, the best course of action is to call a tree service. They can help you clear the tree safely. If the tree poses a life-threatening situation, if power lines are involved, or if you see smoke or flames, call 911. If you’ve experienced property damage from a fallen tree, you may want to call your insurance company.
Trees that have fallen on a neighbor’s property are a little trickier. Flooding is a natural hazard, and it is an important process in floodplains – restoring groundwater, enriching soils, and creating habitat. Homeowners living in high risk areas are required to have flood insurance, but anyone vulnerable to flooding can purchase flood insurance. So, if the tree fell on public property or a city right-of-way and is causing an immediate hazard situation, call Portland’s Urban Forestry Department at 503-823-TREE (8733) to report it. A concern about flooding is not an immediate hazard, but the Urban Forestry Department may want to know about the tree if the problem is large.
If the tree is on a neighbor’s property and you’re concerned about flooding on your property, check in with them and see if you can find a solution. Again, a tree service may be able to help with decisions about how to address the problem.
Any apparent pollution in the creek, including excessive sediment/turbidity, oil sheens, etc., can be reported to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) using the Oregon Emergency Response System: 1-800-452-0311. This is intended to be the one-stop center for reporting spills in the state of Oregon (this is also the place to report spills on the ground, even if they’re not going into the creek).
If you are in the City of Portland, and you see what you suspect is pollution entering the creek, or the creek itself is muddy when there has not been recent rain, you can contact the Duty Officer for the Bureau of Environmental Services at 503-823-7180 or BESDutyOfficer@portlandoregon.gov; this line is staffed 24/7.
In the City of Gresham, call 503-618-2626 during regular business hours, or after business hours call 503-661-3906 (Police Records); you can also report an issue at https://greshamoregon.gov/services/mygresham/. If you are in the City of Milwaukie, spills may be reported through their website; this will reach the largest number of people, but does require registration and sign-in. You can also call their Public Works front desk at 503-786-7600.
Information on reporting spills in the Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) district can be found here (WES services urban lands in Happy Valley, and unincorporated parts of Clackamas County west of SE 172nd Ave). Report spills that are in unincorporated Clackamas County outside of the WES district directly to DEQ (see above). There are several links here for reporting water quality issues in unincorporated Multnomah County.
If you live on a stream in the Johnson Creek watershed, you may be eligible for CreekCare, which works with private landowners to replace noxious weeds with native plants in streamside areas. If you’re not on a stream, or are outside of the watershed, try contacting your local watershed council (if there is one for your stream) or Soil and Water Conservation District (East Multnomah and Clackamas both work with landowners on the east side of the Willamette River). The Backyard Habitat Certification Program is also a great resource for coping with weeds and building better habitat on small lots (an acre or less) and community sites.
When in doubt, there’s no harm in reporting anything that looks like pollution. A lot of those “soapy” bubbles form naturally: when bacteria break down organic matter, it often releases some oily compounds that adhere (sorb) onto sediment in the water. When that water and sediment get churned up–by running over rocks, or flowing through and over “strainers” of branches and logs in the creek–it creates those little wads of what looks like dirty soap suds. This is especially common in autumn, when falling leaves put lots of new organic matter into the creek. This is usually nothing to worry about…but don’t hesitate to report anything that doesn’t look right!
Playing in and around creeks always carries some risk. As an urban stream, Johnson Creek has been subjected to treatment that makes it a little more hazardous than a “pristine” forested brook, but playing in and around it can still be fine if you’re aware of the circumstances. Like most urban streams, Johnson Creek is “flashy,” meaning it responds very quickly to storm events; rainfall moves off of surrounding hard surfaces, into pipes, and into the creek in a matter of minutes. Even a short, intense rain can raise the level of the creek with surprising speed, and with rising levels comes much stronger current, the risk of larger debris moving downstream, etc. So, it’s best to limit playing in the creek to dry weather–allow a few days since the last rain, and assess the flow to make sure it’s low enough to be safe. The US Geological Survey operates continuous flow gages at Milwaukie, near Powell Butte, and in Gresham, if you’re looking to see what conditions are before you go.
The lower 15 miles of Johnson Creek was lined with angular rock walls in the 1930s; that rock is still present along the banks and in the channel of the creek. Where the wall is still intact, the bank can be impossible to climb on, making it hard to get in and out of the creek; where the wall has broken up, those jagged pieces of basalt are slippery to walk on, a significant tripping hazard, and no fun to land on. As with any creek, these rocks–as well as large logs and other debris–move around during heavy flows, so a place that might have been relatively hazard-free before might be less safe after a storm event; always check for these conditions.
Trash, including used syringes/needles and other dangerous debris, is a persistent problem in the creek, so always check carefully for any garbage that could cause injury before recreating along the creek.
Regarding less-visible types of pollution, Johnson Creek is in much better shape than it was a few decades ago; levels of pesticides, metals, and other pollutants are lower than they were at their peak. However, those things are still there, and levels of harmful bacteria in the creek exceed state standards. It’s best to stay out of the creek if you have any wounds that could get infected, and you should always wash up well after being in the creek (especially before eating). Eating anything out of the creek is not recommended, as even trace pollutants can build up to harmful levels in organisms that live in the water.
Everyone can help make Johnson Creek safer for recreation (and for wildlife!) by properly disposing of pet waste and other trash, keeping paint, oils, and other pollutants out of the storm sewer system, and participating in JCWC’s annual Creek Cleanup!