Milwaukie updates Kellogg Creek dam‑removal project; partners aim for construction in 2028–29 amid federal grant uncertainty

Milwaukie — City staff, project partners and consultants briefed the Milwaukie City Council on May 6 about progress on the Kellogg Creek dam removal and natural‑area restoration project, reporting a design push this summer and a fundraising gap caused by recent federal grant pauses.

The update matters because removing the Kellogg Dam and restoring the creek aim to reopen fish passage, reduce future flood risk in the impoundment and create a new urban natural area. Staff said the project combines large technical, regulatory and funding elements that require coordinated action by multiple partners.

Staff and partners said they have assembled an interagency team that includes the city, American Rivers, Metro, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and several tribes and nonprofit partners. Project leads reported about $27 million raised to date and a timeline focused on producing a Design Acceptance Package (DAP) in June–July to position the project for several federal and state funding opportunities.

Design, permitting and timeline

Amy Ebert, the city’s development project manager working on Kellogg, told the council, “we are basically working towards a package called DAP, design acceptance package.” The DAP was described as a document that will consolidate roughly 60 percent of design elements and align the streambed restoration, trail crossings, sewer relocations and bridge and trestle engineering.

If design, permitting and fundraising proceed as hoped, staff said construction could occur in two seasons in 2028–29; staff cautioned this schedule depends on securing federal and state grants and completing coordination on right-of-way, sewer relocations and rail and roadway interfaces.

Funding and federal grant uncertainty

Project presenters said the partnership had raised about $27 million in commitments: staff listed approximately $15 million from NOAA Fisheries (federal grant support for fish passage), $10 million from Metro and roughly $1 million from other sources and the city. Staff also said two federal grant programs they were pursuing — large competitive programs under Federal Highway Administration commonly referred to in the meeting as PROTECT and a Culvert/AOP program — were paused or uncertain, forcing the team to pivot fundraising strategies.

Staff noted Metro’s funding commitment remains available through a multi‑year window; staff said they expect a Metro agreement by June so Metro’s funds can be used when other grants come through. On the federal side, staff said recent changes created ambiguity about timing and availability of funds, and they are pursuing multiple state, local and philanthropic options to close the gap.

Environmental and technical work

Presenters reported ongoing sediment sampling, geotechnical surveys and ecological monitoring. Staff said sediment suitability analyses are underway and that project teams do not plan to release sediment downstream; rather, they expect to cover or relocate sediments as appropriate and to coordinate with regulators. The project team is conducting freshwater mussel surveys and eDNA testing after eDNA results indicated the presence of a native mussel…