Tualatin Riverkeepers credits city grant for Earth Day turnout, readies water‑trail maps and programs

Tualatin Riverkeepers updated the Tualatin City Council on April 14 about recent outreach and restoration work along the Tualatin River, reporting that an Earth Day fair funded in part with city support attracted roughly 100 visitors and that the organization is preparing a Tualatin River Water Trail website and map rollout in June.

"When the trail went in last summer, we noticed a huge increase in the number of users there," said Mr. Fee of Tualatin Riverkeepers, describing the Earth Day fair and related programming. "We had just over a hundred visitors there." The fair included river boat rides for families, bird‑house building, habitat restoration and partner booths from groups including Friends of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Trout Unlimited and Clean Water Services.

Riverkeepers said they sold roughly 20 of about 40 donated boats at a recent boat sale designed to help residents access the river affordably. The organization also described a restoration program with 12 trained volunteer restoration leaders and a River Runner volunteer monitoring program in which 14 volunteers have adopted sections of the navigable river to check conditions every four to six weeks.

Mr. Fee told the commission the group is developing new, more detailed launch maps and signage through National Park Service resources and an Explore Tualatin Valley grant. The Tualatin River Water Trail website and maps are scheduled to launch June 7, National Trails Day; the group will hold a Discovery Day paddle from King City Community Park to Tualatin Community Park on June 21.

Staff noted the council on April 14 had approved an amendment to the city's agreement with Tualatin Riverkeepers as part of the meeting's consent agenda. The consent motion was adopted unanimously. The consent agenda item was described during agenda review as "resolution number 5873‑25, authorizing an amendment to the agreement between the city of Tualatin and Tualatin Riverkeepers for management and operations of city property." The Riverkeepers presenter thanked the council for that support.

Council members asked about emerald ash borer impacts and invasive species. Mr. Fee said Riverkeepers aims to be a partner in regional planting and monitoring efforts and described plans to geo‑tag trees and coordinate volunteers to track riverbank health and tree condition.

Riverkeepers also described a new river runner reporting tool to provide near‑real‑time updates about hazards such as log jams and blockages, and said new physical maps and signage for the four public launches in Tualatin will be available as part of the June rollout.

The group invited councilors and residents to National Trails Day events and the June 21 Discovery Day paddle.