Water Test Will Close Riverside County Park Thursday

CLACKAMAS, OR — A coalition of drinking water providers and first responders will gather at Riverside County Park in Clackamas on Thursday to train for potential hazardous material spills in the Clackamas River. During the exercise, the park will be closed to the public.

To test out newly developed spill response strategies, Clackamas River Water Providers (CRWP), Clackamas Fire District #1, Water Environment Services, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will close Riverside County Park from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 27.

Riverside County Park is located just north of Oregon City, near the Clackamas Station industrial area, off Southeast Jennifer Street. Businesses within the industrial area — reportedly thanks to a state water protection grant — will also soon have access to the CRWP-led Hazardous Spill Prevention Program, which provides free or discounted spill prevention and response equipment, as well as free technical assistance.

"A hazardous material spill in the Clackamas Industrial Area is an area of particular concern," CRWP Water Resource Manager Kim Swan said in a statement. "This is because many of the businesses in the industrial area are less than a quarter of a mile away from the Clackamas River and because of the hundreds of storm drains and four small tributary creeks (Rock, Sieben, Carli, and Cow Creeks) that drain this area and flow into the river just upstream of four drinking water intakes."

Thursday's test will reportedly help the group collectively identify areas where they can improve their responses.

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