Surfrider Foundation Oregon Chapter
9 December 2003
Rob Williams
Markus Mead
John Thompson
Tina Torri
Katie Breene
Haley Brown
Garren Watkins
Kyler Grandkoski
Butch Bannon
Josh Einsle
Carey Doyle
Andi Bernard
Brad Ostapkowful
Dave Spencer
Melissa Gilbert
Alison Cliath
Justin Isle
Matt Fox
Mike Barrett
Jason Menke
Danny Stevens
Julee Wasserman
Damon Fordham
Nicole Wolters
1. Introductions
2. Oregon Sea Celebration Conference Recap – Rob
The conference was well attended by key members of the Oregon marine community. Markus Mead, our Oregon Field Coordinator, facilitated a panel on water quality that was very well received by the audience. The panel included Rob Williams, the chair of our Portland Organizing Committee, Christopher Swain who swam the entire Columbia River earlier this year in efforts to promote water quality awareness, Joe Gaydos, of the Seadoc society, and Cynthia Gaines, the new newly hired Beach Representative for the state. It was particularly exciting to finally meet Cynthia Gains as the position of Beach Representative has been a long time in the working, and the upshot from her hire is that she is brand new and she is really excited to be working with Surfrider. We will be working together in coordinating water testing days, etc.
3. Snowrider Project – Katie
The Snowrider committee has been working on getting organized by setting three, six and nine month goals. They include:
1.) A Snowrider round table discussion with the three main resorts on Mt. Hood and also the resort on Mt. Bachelor. Discussion would focus around sustainability and that what happens on the mountain ends up in the rivers and ocean. Help will be needed with this in the areas of: sustainability research, information and leads.
2.) Our education program: From Sea to Summit. We are working on getting this into the classrooms.
3.) Finally a snowshoe hike up Tilly Jane is being planned for January 17th. Meet at the Lucky Lab at 8am. It will be a fun event. Help will be needed with drivers, and coordination. Maybe there will even be a bonfire that night at Cooper Spur.
To get involved in any of these Snowrider activities contact Katie at ktbreene@hotmail.com.
4. Westside combined sewer overflow (CSO) project.
Diana Hinton from the City of Portland.
Portland citizens have demanded clean water and rivers for a long time before we had the federal regulations, or the DEQ. The original sewer system of Portland was constructed in the late 1800s. Although some citizens had concerns about dumping untreated sewage into the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, the City fathers decided it would be easier and cheaper to do it that way. In the 1930’s the citizens had had enough. If you had dropped a fish in the river it wold have died soon afterwards. In 1950 the first interceptors were built. In 1970 the plants were upgraded to secondary treatment. This means the sewerage is treated twice. The original sewers were modified. Combination sewers carry raw sewage during periods of low flow. The sewage flows to manholes that divert the flows to the interceptors and then to the treatment plant. During times of higher flow (rain events) the combination sewers double as storm sewers. When the flows become high enough, the storm water and raw sewage overflow to the Combined Sewer Outfalls that dump directly into the Willamette River. These overflows occur nearly every time it rains.
The outflow generally consists of 20% sewage and 80% stormwater. Every time it rains our treatment plants overflow. This occurs in the oldest portion of the city and serves 60% or the population and represents 35% of the area. The focus is the Willamette River. Work on the Columbia slough started in 1991 and is now complete.
The AFSO allowable overflows are: 4 per year in the Winter, and 1 every 3 years in the Summer. There have been constant CSO reductions since the onset of the program.
Now they are working on the Westside Big Pipe /Willamette river project. The Big Pipe, being bored at a depth of about 100 feet, will be constructed under Waterfront Park to the Nicholi St. Access shaft. From there it will pass under the river to the Swan Island pump station, which is being built, then through more tunnels to the treatment plants.
Special boring machines have been made in Germany to bore through the variety of soils here in Portland
Another piece of the project is Ground Improvement. A machine drills down into the ground and concrete is poured into these to stabilize and secure the bridges.
The Westside project is expected to be completed in 2006, and the entire project, including the Eastside CSO, by 2011. Sewer rates will increase from an average of $40/month in 2002, to an average of $65/month by 2011. Go to www.cleanriverworks.com for updates, etc.
5. Opens
See our section on volunteer opportunities, current projects and calendar of events for more events not discussed this evening.
· We will have a table at Patagonia from 12-5pm on 12/27. There will be a raffle with items donated by Patagonia. There is a sign up sheet for this event or contact either of our volunteer coordinators to help out.
· Garren is working on having pint glasses made with our logo on one side and the supporting brewpub on the other. One suggestion was Salvadore Molly’s.
· Does Surfrider have a stand or know much about the proposed Golf Course in Tierra Del Mar? Our main concern would be water quality effects including removal of habitat (Snowy Plover), fertilization, etc. Some information can be found on the internet. We have not yet done enough research and exploration to decide what sort of an effect it will have.
Next Portland Surfrider Meeting:
Second Monday of the month, January 12th, 7pm
Lucky Lab Pub on SE Hawthorne, Annex Room
*** Note that this is a Monday meeting next month!! ***
Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in helping with or coordinating any of the following efforts please contact the Volunteer Coordinators Haley Brown (hbrown@oregonducks.org) or Melissa Gilbert (mgilbert@mesd.k12.or.edu)
· Tabling at Patagonia: help staff the Educational Booth on 12/27 (12-5 pm)
· Education Project Coordinator: help get the Surfrider curriculum into local schools
· Store Liaisons: pick a store you visit regularly, develop a relationship, get Surfrider info posted, and put in one of our fundraising Jerky Jars
· Grant Writer: Get us money for all our cool projects
· Media Coordinator: Maintain media file and develop relationships so we can get good coverage on reports and press conferences, great PSA spots for our events
· Ocean Illness Coordinator: Help generate publicity for our reporting website through media, a campaign to make nurses aware or other methods.
· Bonfire Coordinator: Help organize the logistics of the Cooper Spur or Beach Bonfire
· BWTF Beer Coordinator: Initiate a project to get a brewery to create a Blue Water Task Force beer with Surfrider info on the label and a portion of the proceeds to help fund the program
Current Projects with Coordinators – But More Help is Always Good
· Snowrider – Katie/Josh
· Mother Ocean Day – Tina
· Blue Water Task Force – Rob/Greg
· Curriculum/Education distribution –Haley
· Movie night – Garren
· Lobby Day – Garren
· Store Liaison Program – Rob
· Wild Oats/Nickel donation - Melissa
Calendar of Events - 2004
January
Movie Night at EcoTrust building
Snowrider Bonfire up at Cooper Spur
February
Westport Surf Contest (booth)
Snowrider participation in Sustainable Slopes (booth)
March
Snowrider Participation in Mt. Hood Vegetate (booth)
Surfrider Pacific Northwest Annual Retreat (Coos Bay)
Environmental Lobby Day in Salem
April
Earth Day (booth)
Banff Mountain Film Festival (booth)
May
Mother Ocean Day
Reach the Beach (booth)
June
Membership Drive Begins
July
Beach Bonfire
August
Pacific City Surf Contest
September
Newport Surf Contest
Lincoln City Contest
Sandcastle Building Contest
October
Crescent City Surf Contest
November
Snowrider - Teton Gravity Event (booth)