It’s amazing what you can fish out of a creek—spoiler alert, it’s not always fish!
Yesterday, members of our public works crew teamed up with the Luckiamute Watershed Council and the Ash Creek Water Control District to clean a section of Ash Creek next to Pioneer Park. Residents alerted the city about trash, pollutants, and other debris in the creek, highlighting the need for a collaborative solution. In response, the city reached out to the Luckiamute Watershed Council for assistance, prioritizing the preservation of the creek’s natural integrity. The team successfully hauled out an impressive amount of trash, including plastic, remnants of a railroad trestle, and a surprising amount of tires—all of which pose significant threats to the surrounding wildlife.
Pioneer Park, known as Independence’s first park, was included in the original town plat back in the 1800s. Nestled at the corner of Seventh and C streets, the park sits at the confluence of the South Fork and Main Stem of Ash Creek and features an intact native riparian zone.
The city of Independence appreciates the teamwork and dedication that made this cleanup possible, improving the health of our local waterways. To learn more about the Luckiamute Watershed Council’s efforts in the area, visit: https://www.luckiamutelwc.org/