Willamette River Waterfront Brownfield Cleanup Project - "No Rise" Evaluation

A 4000-foot long section of bank and bed within the Willamette River in downtown Portland, Oregon has been identified as a contaminated remediation site. A team of consultants is working for the property owner to develop a sand containment cap that will be placed over the contaminated soils.

Role / Services: WSE was retained by ZRZ Reality Company to help develop a containment cap design that will cause "No-Rise" to FEMA 100-year base flood regulatory water surface elevations on the Willamette River. WSE developed a detailed HEC-RAS model of the Willamette River, and worked iteratively with the design team to refine the cap configuration until a "No-Rise" solution was achieved. WSE prepared a detailed study report which was submitted to the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services for review.

Outcome: The City agreed that the proposed project satisfied the "No-Rise" regulatory requirement and granted the appropriate permit. This cleanup project earned the 2014 Project Excellence Award from ASCE's Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute.