Author name: John Sparks

The Creation of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge: An Interview With Mike Houck

by John Sparks In 1959, the City of Portland acquired most of what is now Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. In the ensuing three decades, the City floated various plans to develop the bottomland, while environmental organizations, including the Audubon Society of Portland (now the Bird Alliance of Oregon), The Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and […]

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Harmful Algae Blooms at Oaks Bottom

by John Sparks In April 2025, Oregon Health Authority experts tested the waters of Wapato Marsh at Oaks Bottom and found a “concerning” level of microcystins at 191 μg/l (micrograms per liter). (Microcystins are toxins produced by cyanobacteria; the other major cyanotoxin is cylindrospermopsin.) Accordingly, in May, warning signs were posted on the trails at

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