Crystal Springs Lake Restoration
Crystal Springs Lake, the body of water that stretches between the Eastmoreland Golf Course and the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, is in the early planning stages of a restoration project set to address documented challenges of fish passage and temperature issues. Work to address these challenges goes back to 2009, as from that year to 2014 the city of Portland and its allies worked to replace or remove nine culverts spanning along the Crystal Springs Creek, along with enhancing Crystal Springs with pools, wetlands, and root wads to provide habitat for steelhead trout, coho salmon and chinook salmon, all threatened fish protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. The older culverts were difficult for these fish to swim through, and the water temperature during the summer rose far above preferred temperatures for the wildlife.
By removing a pond at Westmoreland Park, the city was able to stabilize the temperature in Crystal Springs Creek. The ideal water temperature for the habitat is 18 °C. In 2012 (before the removal), the downstream water temperature from July 7 to 15 ranged between 22 and 23 °C during the hottest part of the day, and only just barely got below 18 °C during the coldest parts of the day. After the removal in 2017, the downstream temperature oscillated between 17 and 20°C over the same time of the year, matching the upstream temperature almost exactly.
In Crystal Springs Lake, however, temperature issues are still ongoing with the lake outflow peaking at an average temperature of over 22°C in 2014, and set to increase further with climate change. There are also concerns with the structural integrity of the dam in the lake as well – which has been at the same location since at least 1920 – which may be difficult to replace due to permitting requirements.
The goals of the current project are “to improve [the] water quality and habitat in Crystal Springs Creek to support the continued recovery of salmon populations,” as taken from the Community Briefing Meeting 2024 slideshow. The city will attempt these goals by improving the lake-edge and creek habitats to reduce the water temperature, either removing, improving, or reconfiguring the dam, and removing invasive species in the area. The city will focus on the yellow-flag iris in particular. The city plans to maintain the functionality of the golf course and garden by preserving the aesthetics and functionality of both areas and improving the irrigation intake for the golf course.
The current project is a joint effort between the city and many other local organizations, Reed College among them. These include the Eastmoreland Golf Course Golf Advisory Committee, Friends of Crystal Spring Rhododendron Garden, Rhododendron Garden, Portland Chapter American Rhododendron Gardens, the Crystal Springs Partnership, the Native American Community Advisory Committee, the Bird Alliance of Oregon, Reed College, Urban Greenspaces Institute, and the Johnson Creek Watershed Council. Local neighborhood associations and more partners are planned to be added when the project reaches the design phase.
The project is currently in the second part of the planning phase, which is the concept planning phase, moving out of the project scoping phase that took place from 2019 to 2023. In this phase, the city engaged with stakeholders, did concept designing, toured Crystal Springs Lake, along with biological evaluation and characterization, fieldwork, cost estimation, and prospective visual development. The preliminary construction cost of the project is $11.4 million, but this number is set to be refined due to the financial impact of the closure of the garden and golf course, along with other additional costs such as project management and construction oversight. The city was able to use volunteering to survey different wildlife groups in the area, such as the wood duck, hooded mersanger, and aquatic invertebrates.
After the current phase, the project will move to the design phase, in which preliminary engineering will take place, along with the development of the project’s design and the drafting of construction documents. The design phase will also include additional engagement with stakeholders. The third phase will be the construction phase, in which permitting, contract bidding, and construction will take place.
Currently, the city is updating its stakeholders on the work done in 2023, and doing community briefings upon request; they also plan to work with the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The plan will reduce lake surfaces from 11.94 to 4.75 acres, preserving the deepest areas of the lake, and maintaining its typical depth between 3-6 feet. The plan will protect the existing salmonid spawning areas and preserve the over-water golf drive and bench views of the lake.
In addressing the interests of specific stakeholders, the city is noting suggestions to the Rhododendron Garden staff to use land to provide additional garden space, and suggestions to the Golf Course staff to add land from the golf course for diving ducks, eagles, and herons to perch from. The city also wants to celebrate plants of Indigenous cultural interest, such as the Wokas, Wapato, and Cattail plants, which it seeks to experiment with planting along the lakeside.
Plans to reduce the temperature of the lake are crucial – USGS temperature monitoring predicts that under moderate climate change conditions, the number of hours in which the lake outflow temperature could exceed 20 °C is expected to triple, which could be devastating to the ESA-listed species in the area if no action is taken. Because of the lake orientation, tree shading only provides moderate benefits, so reconfiguration is essential.
In winter 2024, the city plans to further communicate with stakeholders to create perspective visuals, and brief city leaders and neighborhood groups. For more information, contact Environmental Specialist Jennifer Devlin at Jennifer.Devlin@portlandoregon.gov or visit the website with information about the project at a link which can be found in the online version of this article.