Springfield Mill Race Restoration Project

Aerial views of the planting area.  The dark brown dots are the mulch rings surrounding each plant.

(Aerial photo courtesy of RaptorViews – Philip Bayles)

Planting of native vegetation has begun in the former Mill Pond area.  The plants are currently dormant and surrounded by a ring of mulch.  Approximately 45,000 plants will be installed in the next 6 weeks. 

Click below to read an article about the Mill Race recently published in the Register-Guard:

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newsspringfieldextra/26769433-41/millrace-goodwin-project-park-restoration.html.csp

 Construction is proceeding on Phase II of the Mill Race Restoration Project.  The contractor is cutting the low flow channel and excavating the remaining pond areas.  Once grading is complete, topsoil will be placed and native vegetation planted this fall. 

 

All aerial imagery courtesy of RaptorViews: Philip Bayles, psb@efn.org

Aerial photo of the low flow channel being excavated.

 

View of Phase II earthwork looking west. The Booth-Kelly site is in the top left of the photo. Downtown Springfield is in the top right of the photo.

View of the site looking east.

 

 

The remote-controlled plane used to capture the aerial imagery. The camera is mounted on the front of the plane (above and in front of the wheels). The battery packs (blue) are directly below the camera.

  

An excavator cuts the low flow channel.

 

 

An excavator loads an off-road dump truck with soil cut from the low flow channel.

Earthwork will continue throughout the summer as the site is graded and prepared for planting.

The project has entered winter hiatus.  We don’t anticipate any new construction activity until next spring.  In the meantime, behind the scenes activity continues.

We are finalizing plans for the work at the Swanson reach.  This work will narrow the channel, provide sufficient bank for a future trail, and create a buffer between Swanson and the Mill Race.

We are also working with SUB and ODFW on the final design for the Gorrie Creek inlet.  The design calls for fish screens and we have to ensure sufficient water flow through Gorrie Creek for SUB’s well fields.

We are resolving plant die-off and warranty issues.  Some of the plants planted as part of Phase I have died.  While this is not unexpected we are working with the contractor and the CoE to insure any replanted material has a better chance of survival.

Lastly, we continue to work on erosion control and stabilization so the winter rains do not cause any significant damage to the work in place and release sediment into the stream.

For the last 4 weeks contractors have been busily working to remove the old Mill Race dam and improve the streambed through Booth Kelly for improved fish passage.

Staton Companies has removed some 1,500 cubic yards of concrete and moved 6,000 yards of dirt.  Tons of old steel was recycled.

The beginning of dam demolition

Hammering on the South Retaining Wall

Demolition during the dry summer months raises a lot of dust. A water truck patrolled the area spraying water on all work areas to control dust.

The Carpentry Shed was built over the Mill Race. We removed the building and pulled the piles from the streambed.

During the demolition and subsequent excavation, we discovered extensive foundations, walls, and floor slabs that had to be removed.

Some of the rebar that was recovered from the demolished concrete. All concrete and steel was recycled.

Removing the last of the sheetpile that was used as a part of the dam

Phase II of the Mill Race project is fully under way. Just Bucket Excavating has been working in the pond area, excavating the new channel. Staton has been working at the Booth Kelly site, demolishing the dam and other barriers to fish passage.

At any given time there is a half-dozen giant excavators on site, breaking concrete and loading off-road trucks.