The Willamette at flood stage

 It is a "la Nina" winter.  Last month, December, was on track to be the driest December ever… but it has been raining since the last week of December.  Rivers and streams have reached or are about to reach flood stage.  Sunday, I went down to the river at Sellwood park and saw the highest water levels I have ever seen here.  They say the Willamette River is as high now as it was in 1996, when the river flooded downtown Portland.  I lived in Japan then; news from Portland Oregon was world-wide.

I drove down to Oregon City yesterday to get my friend A so that we could go see the river.  The first place we stopped was at an overlook on US 99, above the paper plant:

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This plant is less used now than it was, but it sits just below Willamette Falls, the block to down-river navigation:

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looking down the river

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Willamette Falls.

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The river is pretty high; a lot of people came out to see it:

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The Clackamas River joins the Willamette above Oregon City and that is the site of Clackamette Park, a popular fishing and river sports park, which is usually full year-round.

Not the last couple of days – that park is flooded and closed.

Pictures of Clackamette Park up next.

 

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