Portland golf club dredging project: where do things stand?
For 4 years, Portland Golf Club has been pushing to dredge their irrigation pond and store geotextile bags of sludge right along Fanno Creek Trail. The dredge tailings/soil is contaminated, by BOTH golf balls AND high levels of zinc, lead & copper. (of note, there are also insecticides, fungicide and herbicides in the dredge tailings, just not excessive levels). As such, the dredge is solid waste, by DEQ standards.
Washington County Land Use & Transportation took a closer look at zoning regulations where the golf club wants to place the bags. (Remember the land is zoned R-5, residential). There is no provision in the Washington County Code that allows the disposal or temporary storage of toxic sludge on R-5 residential land — especially material now designated as solid waste by DEQ. LUT told the golf club (read their online statement here):
To move forward in (this) process, a new Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) would be required from Washington County. Washington County would not be able to issue a LUCS for this use because the County does not allow the storage of solid waste in the R-5 zone for any duration.
The golf club had also applied to LUT for a grading permit, which was not granted, as the golf club obviously wanted to grade the land in preparation for a project which they do not have permission to do! However, they chose to begin the grading work anyways, bringing in heavy equipment, leveling land and cutting down trees. LUT performed a site visit and issued a "stop work" order on 11/13/25. (this is the 2nd time the golf club has done major work to move this project forward without a permit, the first time was at the end of 82nd Ave, and CWS had to shut that down.)
what exactly does the Portland golf club want to do?
The Portland Golf Club has a pond in the middle of their course, it is important to them for aesthetics, also because they store their free water in it to irrigate their course. They receive free water from both Fanno Creek and Woods Creek, year round.
The pond has filled with sludge, and they want to dredge the pond to make the hole deeper, thus store more water. The golf club owns the piece of property just south of them, right along the Fanno Creek Trail. This property is zoned residential, it has a wetland on it and it is in very close proximity to Fanno Creek.
They want to clear the land, put the removed dredge tailings (classified as solid waste due to contaminants, by DEQ) in 17 black geo-textile bags for nearly a year while they "de-water" and then afterwards, they will move the bags (??without breaking them???) to a landfill.
Concerns by neighbors are multiple: threats to wildlife, and to foliage, threats to the wetland, contamination onto the trail and Fanno Creek, leakage of the solid waste during the moving process, heavy equipment up and down streets and across the trail, smell and noise, not to mention the fact that this is a residentially zoned piece of property and as such, solid waste/landfill is not allowed.
the permit process feels very confusing! here's the basics:
Clean Water Services originally gave a "thumbs up" to the golf course (Service Provider Letter & Erosion Control Permit) BUT since the project has changed markedly since those were issued, the golf club must re-apply, they are in the process of doing that--see here.
Department of State Lands (DSL) approved the golf club's application on October 3, this approval is good until 10/3/26.
US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) granted Nationwide Permits #16 & #33 in September 2025, read here.
DEQ has two different permitting processes: water and solid materials. DEQ granted the 401 water quality certificate in September, as water testing came out "clean." DEQ Materials Management has not permitted the project, as the contaminated dredge is officially classified as solid waste and as such, needs to be in a landfill, not on residential property.
ODFW has expressed their concerns that the proposed project will have negative short-term impacts and the potential exists for long-term impacts as well, but as ODFW is not a permitting agency, they simply state their concerns to DSL read here.
As stated in the briefing above, the most important PENDING approvals now are Washington County LUT and DEQ Materials Management/solid waste.
Neighbors for Wetland Preservation
who we are
Our history
Our history
We are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit.
We are committed to Fanno Creek, beautiful old growth trees, healthy wetlands and wildlife habitat.
Our focus is the greenspace & the wetland alongside the Fanno Creek Trail in Garden Home.
Our history
Our history
Our history
Portland Golf Club lies in Washington County, Oregon. Fanno Creek runs through their property. They have water rights to the Creek, they take & store water in their irrigation pond.
In 2021 they made public their intent to dredge the pond, pumping water & dredge to the southern portion of their property, immediately adjacent to the F
Portland Golf Club lies in Washington County, Oregon. Fanno Creek runs through their property. They have water rights to the Creek, they take & store water in their irrigation pond.
In 2021 they made public their intent to dredge the pond, pumping water & dredge to the southern portion of their property, immediately adjacent to the Fanno Creek Trail. The dredge tailings will be left in bags adjacent to the wetland. They estimate the equivalent of 500 dump trucks of dredge tailings will be permanently placed on top of the wetland.
This will destroy the wetland, eliminate wildlife habitat, create an eyesore, alter storm water flow and potentially contaminate Fanno Creek.
As a result, neighbors organized to provide a unified voice in opposition, requesting we work together with the PGC toward environmentally sound solutions.
Our goals
Our history
Our goals
The Portland Golf Club accepts the role of leaders in ecosystem preservation and sustainability within the golf club world. To do this, we ask the following:
- The Portland Golf Club care for and preserve Wetland A on the Pinger Property. In order to achieve this, they should not clear the property, they should not place dredge on the prop
The Portland Golf Club accepts the role of leaders in ecosystem preservation and sustainability within the golf club world. To do this, we ask the following:
- The Portland Golf Club care for and preserve Wetland A on the Pinger Property. In order to achieve this, they should not clear the property, they should not place dredge on the property. They should foster native growth and remove invasive species in order to maximize functionality of the wetland and the watershed.
- Stream restoration, of both Fanno Creek and Woods Creek, at the points they enter the Golf Club, they traverse the Golf Club, and they exit the Golf Club. Make real efforts to slow peak water flows which can be erosive. This will foster native wildlife and fish, particularly cutthroat trout.
- The Golf Club works with the public and community organizations to remove non-native, invasive species (English Ivy) which threatens old growth trees.