‘Magical’ community science event tallies watershed creatures ahead of Kellogg Dam removal

Dozens of people gathered outside Milwaukie Presbyterian Church early Saturday morning. They brought with them waders, binoculars, and lots of field guidebooks.

They all with one goal in mind: To count every single species and creature they encountered.

It was all part of the North Clackamas Watersheds Council’s first BioBlitz, an effort to take stock of the creatures found in the watershed ahead of the removal of the Kellogg Dam in two-year time.

Kellogg Dam, located just below McLoughlin Boulevard in Milwaukie, was constructed before Oregon became a state and has served little purpose since the 1890s. But it’s continued to have an enormous effect on the Kellogg Creek environment during the subsequent 130 years. It contains a dysfunctional fish ladder, which prevents salmon and other fish from reaching traditional spawning habitats.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2022 announced a $15 million grant to help pay for the removal of the dam. The actual removal likely won’t occur until at least 2026, organizers of the BioBlitz said.

Peyton Priestman, the council’s community engagement coordinator, said the environment around the creek, which is stagnant in many places due to reduced flow, will become more of a wetlands environment after the removal.

“We were thinking about ways to engage the community in the project and community science is such a great way to do that,” she said. “We also really want to have this data so that we can show after the restoration that things have changed, things have gotten better in these areas.”

The volunteers split off into different groups: Reptiles and Amphibians, Birds, Plants and Macro Invertebrates were just some of the options.

Every group had a different strategy. The birding groups walked slowly in silence, listening for any and all bird calls. The reptile group looked near waterways and fallen tree trunks for any signs of life.

Abigail Marks of Milwaukie, donning a pair of waders, chose Macro Invertebrates, which includes organisms like clams, mussels and the various insects found lurking in creek beds.

Marks and other volunteers took turns rinsing off large rocks, trying to find any invertebrates clinging to the surface. Any they found were placed in a tray and identified using a field guide.

Carrying an ice tray full of alien-like creatures, Marks described the BioBlitz as “magical” and a great opportunity to practice some community science.

“I think once we were in there, I didn’t even care if we found anything,” Marks said. “I was just happy to be in the water.”

The impacts of the dam became obvious to those in the field. The macro invertebrates group had far more success finding species in small tributaries compared to the larger Kellogg Creek where they all led.

Brian Weir, a student at Portland State University who specializes in invertebrates, said the stagnant water created by the dam is not best for small invertebrates.

“There’s a whole bunch of sediment that’s moving down and piling up against the dam and slowing all the water in not the best kind of way,” Weir said, adding that slow moving water makes for the best habitat. “There are things that can live there, they’re just not as abundant.”

In total, volunteers made more than 600 observations and identified 157 different plant and animal species during the two-hour event, according to event organizers. Another BioBlitz will be held after the dam’s removal for comparison.

If successful, the wildlife in the area should be even more plentiful.