There are 45 miles of levees in Multnomah County located along the Columbia River, Columbia Slough, Oregon Slough, and Multnomah Channel. Levees are earthen berms that reduce the risk of flooding during high-water events on the rivers.
Communities in Portland, Gresham, Fairview, Troutdale, Interlachen, and Sauvie Island directly benefit from flood reduction provided by the levee systems. In addition to reducing flooding for local residents, the levee systems also protect regional assets such as the Portland International Airport, the Columbia South Shore Well Field providing drinking water for 800,000 Oregonians, many parks and trails, tens of thousands of jobs, and thousands of acres of farmland.
Levee Ready Columbia is a partnership of over 20 organizations committed to a collaborative approach to preparing our community for future floods. In addition to Multnomah County, these organizations include local, regional, state, and federal government agencies, as well as business, environmental, and community-based organizations.
Levee Ready Columbia is working to ensure that the levee system along the Columbia River from Sauvie Island to the Sandy River in Troutdale meets the requirements for participation in federal programs and continues to reduce the risk of flooding for important regional assets in the area.
Learn More
More information including program updates, stakeholder meetings, and public outreach events can be found at www.leveereadycolumbia.org or by following Levee Ready Columbia on Facebook and Instagram.
You can contact the Multnomah County Levee Project Manager, Allison Boyd, with questions or comments.
