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 called the Oregon floater in the impoundment; staff said locating mussel beds is a priority so animals can be salvaged before an impoundment drawdown.

Community engagement and stewardship

Project staff described a broad community‑engagement effort including a community action team with roughly 30–40 participants, bilingual outreach events, school‑based macroinvertebrate monitoring and stewardship days. Staff said the engagement program is intentionally broad to capture input on optional elements such as trails, access points and interpretive programming.

Risks and constraints

Staff identified a set of technical and schedule constraints: sediment depth and suitability, coordination with railroads and trestle owners, a sewer line that crosses the impoundment and availability of right‑of‑way and easements from nearby property owners. Staff said they are working early with rail operators and have a railroad consultant on the design team to support trestle issues and to evaluate whether the project will require structural buttressing or other rail‑specific mitigation.

Next steps and direction

Staff listed near‑term items: complete the draft Design Acceptance Package in June–July, continue sediment suitability work and freshwater mussel surveys, finalize a Metro agreement by June if possible, continue fundraising and coordinate sewer‑line relocation options with city utilities. Staff said they plan to bring American Rivers and other technical partners to a future council meeting for a deeper technical briefing.

Speakers

- Amy Ebert — Development Project Manager (city staff) — government — first referenced 01:34:09–01:34:15 - Mandy (first name only in transcript) — technical project lead (city staff) — government — first referenced 01:02:18–01:02:25 - April McKeown — (American Rivers / project consultant; transitioned to independent consultant in discussion) — nonprofit/consultant — referenced for future briefing - Neil (first name only in transcript) — project lead (city staff) — government

Authorities referenced

- NOAA Fisheries grant(s) / NOAA grant funding — referenced_by: ["$15 million fisheries funding cited as part of $27M raised"] - Federal Highway Administration grant programs (project-level references to PROTECT and Culvert AOP/AOP programs) — referenced_by: ["paused or uncertain federal grant opportunities"] - Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) — referenced_by: ["freshwater mussel surveys funded by a grant"] - Metro funding agreement (regional funding commitment) — referenced_by: ["$10 million Metro commitment; anticipated agreement by June"]

Actions

- motion: none — no formal council motions or votes recorded on this item - directions (staff): produce a Design Acceptance Package (DAP) targeted for June–July; continue sediment suitability work and mussel surveys; pursue Metro agreement and other fundraising; coordinate sewer relocation options with city utilities; schedule partners (American Rivers, ODOT) for a future council briefing

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion: status of design, sediment results, mussel‑survey plans, rail and trestle coordination, Metro agreement timing and federal grant availability. - Direction/assignment: staff to complete DAP and continue monitoring and fundraising; staff to bring technical partners to council for a deeper briefing. - Formal action: none in the May 6 session.

Clarifying details

- Funds raised: presenters stated approximately $27,000,000 in commitments (approximately $15,000,000 from NOAA Fisheries, $10,000,000 from Metro, and approximately $1,000,000 from other sources and the city); staff characterized these numbers as current commitments and part of a larger funding need. - Grant program sizes: presenters referenced PROTECT and Culvert/AOP federal grant opportunities in the $50 million class of funding (large competitive federal programs) and said some of these programs were paused or closed, requiring a change in strategy. - Timeline: staff said the DAP is targeted for June–July and that construction could occur in two seasons in 2028–29 if permits and funding align.

Proper names

[{"name":"Kellogg Creek","type":"location"},{"name":"Kellogg Dam","type":"facility"},{"name":"American Rivers","type":"organization"},{"name":"NOAA Fisheries","type":"agency"},{"name":"Metro","type":"agency"},{"name":"Oregon Department of Transportation","type":"agency"},{"name":"Port of Portland","type":"organization"},{"name":"Umatilla (propagation facility)","type":"facility"},{"name":"Union Pacific (railroad owner)","type":"business"},{"name":"Portland & Western","type":"business"}]

Community relevance

- Geographies: Kellogg Creek watershed, the impoundment area and adjacent neighborhoods - Funding sources: NOAA Fisheries grants, Metro regional commitment, federal Highway Administration competitive programs (PROTECT, Culvert AOP), OWEB - Impact groups: downstream and upstream residents, watershed stewardship groups, regional fish and habitat interests

Meeting context

- Engagement level: high for a technical briefing — multiple city staff and partner leads participated; community‑engagement programs are active - Implementation risk: high (sediment handling, railroad coordination, sewer relocation and uncertain federal grant availability) - History: project has been under multi‑partner planning for 12–18 months and had recently advanced sediment and design work prior to federal grant pauses

Searchable tags

["Kellogg Creek","Kellogg Dam","dam removal","restoration","sediment","NOAA Fisheries","Metro","railroad trestle"]

Provenance

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Salience

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