River Mill P-2195

Download License Summary for the Clackamas Project.

The Clackamas River Project is located within the Clackamas River Basin. The Clackamas River drains more than 940 square miles as it flows west from the Cascade Mountain Range for 83 miles to its confluence with the Willamette River at Oregon City, Oregon.

The project is situated on the lower 16 miles of the Oak Grove Fork and on the mainstem of the Clackamas River between river miles 46.8 and 22.3.

The Clackamas River Project consists of four developments in the following sequence, from upstream to downstream: Oak Grove, North Fork, Faraday, and River Mill.

Background

• The Clackamas project is located on the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River and the mainstem of the Clackamas River in Clackamas County, Oregon.
• The project occupies over 3,596 acres of land, 2,423 acres of which are federal lands within the Mt. Hood National Forest.
• The Clackamas River drains more than 940 square miles as it flows west from the Cascade Mountain Range for 83 miles to its confluence with the Willamette River at Oregon City, Oregon. Most of the headwaters are located within the Mt. Hood National Forest.
• Approximately 47 miles of the Clackamas River are designated as a federal Wild and Scenic River.
• The Clackamas River provides significant recreational opportunities for fishing, whitewater boating, and camping in relatively close proximity to the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.
• The river supports regionally important anadromous fish populations, including Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed fall- and spring-run Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead trout.
• The Clackamas River also provides drinking water for approximately 200,000 people.
• Coalition members American Rives, American Whitewater, Trout Unlimited, Oregon Trout, WaterWatch of Oregon participated in licensing and ultimately signed a settlement in 2006. However, the license was issued in late 2010.

Project Facilities

• The Clackamas River Project consists of four developments in the following sequence, from upstream to downstream: Oak Grove, North Fork, Faraday, and River Mill.
• The project is situated on the lower 16 miles of the Oak Grove Fork and on the mainstem of the Clackamas River between river miles 46.8 and 22.3.
• The total capacity of the project is 173 MW.

River Mile Improvements

• A total of 104 miles (83 miles on the Clackamas River and another 21 miles on the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River) is expected to improve.
• The license included measures to improve conditions (flow, temperature, gravel, large woody debris, fish passage) above, below and within the project boundary.
• The Clackamas River will also see improvements to recreation flows.
• See the map showing the river reach to be affected:

Milestones