Orenco Woods Nature Park trails have fully reopened after a year of pipeline construction!
Update: WWSS Cornelius Pass Road Pipeline Anticipated Project Timeline (subject to change)
The WWSS will update these milestones monthly. More details will be known as the construction schedule is established. Construction of the Cornelius Pass Road Pipeline Project was delayed in early 2023 due to supply chain issues that resulted in a lack of long lead items needed for construction.
- Initial Construction Mobilization: Early 2023
- Pipeline installation through OWNP completed: June 2024
- Pipeline installation through old rail corridor completion: Fall 2024
While the upper-Tualatin River will continue to be Hillsboro’s primary water source, the City of Hillsboro is partnering with the Tualatin Valley Water District (TVWD) and City of Beaverton to develop an additional water supply on the Willamette River to meet the water needs of customers in the future.
Design and construction of the new Willamette Water Supply System (WWSS) is underway, and includes the Cornelius Pass Road Pipeline Project, a 3.3-mile section of pipeline between Frances Street and just south of Highway 26. About 900 feet of this section of the pipeline crosses the northeast corner of Orenco Woods Nature Park (OWNP). Existing right of way is generally the preferred location for water pipelines. However, at this location, the TriMet bridge and Rock Creek bridge abutments across NE Cornelius Pass Road made it unfeasible to build the WWSS pipeline within the existing right of way. The east side of NE Cornelius Pass Road cannot be utilized for this construction because it is already developed with housing. The feasible location for this segment is through the eastern section of Orenco Woods Nature Park near Cornelius Pass Road.
The need to route the pipeline through the park was anticipated during park development. The City of Hillsboro’s OWNP 2015 land use approval required a utility easement for the future WWSS pipeline construction. Since 2017, the Willamette Water Supply Program (WWSP) has been in communication with Metro and City of Hillsboro Parks & Recreation staff to discuss the easement and its ultimate limits.
Wildlife Management Plan Stakeholder Meeting #8
The eighth OWNP Wildlife Management Public Meeting was held online (Zoom) on November 6, 2024. The meeting was recorded and is now available for viewing below.
The Orenco Woods Nature Park Wildlife Protection and Adaptive Management Plan
WWSP staff have worked with neighbors and other interested stakeholders to develop the Orenco Woods Nature Park (OWNP) Wildlife Protection and Adaptive Management Plan. The plan identifies ways to protect wildlife during pipeline construction through OWNP.
We want to thank everyone who reviewed and provided feedback on the draft plan from January 20 to February 2, 2021.
- Click here to read the final plan
- Click here to read the comments and responses
- Click here to read related documents
If you have questions or need translation assistance, please contact: info@ourreliablewater.org
