The Willamette River
The River's Path
The Willamette River connects with the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon. The Willamette is roughly 187 miles long and originates in southern Oregon. It flows north from the mountains near Eugene, Oregon, runs through the City of Portland, and contributes 15 percent of the average annual flow of the Columbia River.
The Port of Portland
The Port of Portland sits at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers and operates four deep draft marine terminals, three airports, and 10,000 acres of business and industrial parks. The port's activities support 27,000 jobs and it contributes $172 million in local and state tax dollars through aviation and marine activities.*
*figures based on a 2015 study
Port of Portland trade activity
The Port of Portland is a major port for vehicle imports and exports, including Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and Ford vehicles. Each year, several hundred thousand vehicles are loaded from ships to trains and transported across the nation. In 2016, the Port of Portland was the number one exporter of vehicles on the U.S. West Coast.
The main commodities that the Port of Portland exports each year are:
- Grain
- Soda ash
- Potash
- Automobiles
Flood control
Historically, the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers has been the site of several flooding events. Multiple entities, including Levee Ready Columbia and several drainage districts, have worked to keep infrastructure strong and reduce flood risk. There are 45 miles of levees near the convergence of the two rivers. Tens of thousands of jobs, homes, farms, parks and natural areas are protected by these levees.
