Water Environment Services

WES is reducing flooding and improving habitat along Kellogg Creek (between SE Clackamas Road and SE Thiessen Road) by removing and/or replacing culverts and stream crossings as well as restoring Kellogg Creek.

Below is a detailed list of all activities supporting the restoration efforts of Upper Kellogg Creek. Each project is outlined in the Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) Storm System Master Plan (SSMP), which details our approach for storm system infrastructure operations, maintenance and expansion with the goal of improving surface water quality and infrastructure within the WES service area.

• WES’s Storm System Master Plan (SSMP)
• SSMP with Appendices excluding Appendix E 
• SSMP with Appendix E (Known Issues Atlas)

For reference, a “culvert” is a device, usually a pipe or arched tunnel, that transports water underneath a road, railway, or other type of embankment.

(1) SE Clackamas Road Drainage Infrastructure

Location: This project area is located west of where SE Clackamas Road crosses Kellogg Creek, southwest of Ann-Toni Schreiber Park.

Figure 1: SE Clackamas Road Drainage Infrastructure (CIP 1091)

The opportunity: Currently, a stream drains into an undersized ditch inlet south of SE Tidwells Way. The excess water is collected by a standard ditch inlet at the edge of a residential property and transported by storm pipes down SE Clackamas Road directly into Kellogg Creek. The ditch inlet is not large enough to capture the stream flow, especially when debris collects at the inlet. The stream exceeds the capacity of the inlet and causes flooding on SE Clackamas Road and neighboring homes. 

The solution: 

• Construction and/or replacement of approximately 600 lineal feet of 12 to 18-inch diameter storm drain in Clackamas Rd. and 
• Replacement of drain and pond on SE Tidwells Way with 300 lineal feet constructed wetland and swale. 

(2) Aldercrest Culvert Replacement & Kellogg Creek Restoration

Location: The project area is located on Kellogg Creek, between SE Clackamas Road and SE Thiessen Road. 

Figure 2: Aldercrest Culvert Replacement & Kellogg Creek Restoration (CIP 1079)

The opportunity: Currently, the creek is confined and restricted by ten private driveway culverts and a concrete channel. Three of these driveways cross use narrow culverts, resulting in streamflow backing up and exacerbating nuisance flooding on Clackamas Road. The creek also passes through a pair of parallel culverts, which are not associated with any crossing of the stream. These parallel culverts impede natural stream flow. 

The solution: 

• Remove culverts under three driveways and replace narrow stream crossing with a 20-foot span, three-sided concrete box culvert, 
• Restore 750 lineal feet of stream channel, 
• Weed control of invasive plant species and re-planting and 
• Install large wood structures to provide improved habitat in Upper Kellogg Creek. 

(3) Thiessen Culvert Replacement & Kellogg Creek Restoration

Location: The project area is located on SE Thiessen Road where it crosses Kellogg Creek, just west of SE Aldercrest Court. 

The opportunity: Kellogg Creek flows through an undersized (6-foot diameter) culvert which causes the creek to back up at SE Thiessen Road and flood the road and properties upstream. Due to the significant backwater caused by this culvert, the location was identified as one of the highest priority road crossing culvert replacements in the 2019 Upper Kellogg Basin Assessment prepared for WES. 

The solution: WES is partnering with Clackamas County’s Department of Transportation & Engineering (DTD) on this project; learn more about this project.