WHY THE WILLAMETTE RIVER?
The mid-Willamette River at Wilsonville offers significant benefits: excellent finished water quality, redundancy, ownership and control of the supply, year-round reliability, and better value. The Willamette River upper tributaries originate in the mountains south of Eugene. The river flows northward through the Willamette Valley to its confluence with the Columbia River in Portland. The flow from the Willamette River accounts for 15% of water in the mighty Columbia River.
Over the last 30 years, stringent environmental protection laws and significant restoration activities have improved water quality conditions in the Willamette River. Efforts continue to improve the health of the Willamette River basin through studies, cleanup efforts, and coordination by regulatory agencies and drinking water providers.
RIVER FACTS
- 187 miles long, flowing entirely in Oregon
- Upper tributaries originate in the mountains south of Eugene
- Ranks 19th in volume among the nation's rivers
- 13 dams store water, produce hydroelectricity and prevent flooding
- One of 20 rivers in the U.S. that flow south to north
Who Else Uses the Willamette?
The Willamette is Oregon's river, the biggest river in the U.S. wholly contained within the borders of a single state. We are all aware of its importance for fish, waterfowl, aquatic species and other wildlife, for agriculture, and also for travel, recreation and scenic beauty.
For decades, the Willamette has also been an important source of drinking water.
The cities of Springfield, Corvallis, Adair Village, Wilsonville and Sherwood provide safe, quality water from the Willamette River. Corvallis has been supplying their community water from the Willamette for more than 60 years (treatment plant built in 1949). The Willamette River Water Treatment Plant in Wilsonville has been online since 2002 and has met every water quality standard.
Many other communities in the Willamette Valley have recognized the value of the Willamette River as a quality source and have acquired water rights: Hillsboro, Beaverton, Eugene (Eugene Water & Electric Board), Lowell, Lake Oswego, Dundee, Salem, Willamette River Water Coalition, Port of Portland, Millersburg, Independence, Monmouth, Polk County, Canby Utility Board, Harrisburg, Dayton, McMinnville, Carlton, Lafayette, and Yamhill.
Proven Source
Wilsonville has relied on the Willamette source since 2002 and it has met or is better than every standard and has not experienced a single regulatory violation.
