Authorize Intergovernmental Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to improve post-fire simulations of sediment delivery in the Bull Run Watershed based on field observations following the 2023 Camp Creek Fire for $180,223

The 2023 Camp Creek Fire was the first significant fire in the Bull Run Watershed since it became the City’s main water supply in 1895. Fortunately, the Camp Creek Fire was relatively small and predominantly a low severity fire, producing limited soil erosion and source water quality impacts from sediment. However, the Water Bureau needs to be prepared for bigger and more frequent wildfires in the future due to Bull Run’s natural high severity fire regime but also in part due to a future of longer fire seasons from climate change. This ordinance authorizes the Water Bureau to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement (Agreement) with the U.S. Forest Service to study erosion impacts following the 2023 Camp Creek Fire to improve post-fire models of sediment delivery in the Bull Run Watershed. This Agreement will be for a period of two (2) years and builds on previous work by improving the accuracy of the post-fire simulations of sediment delivery. Under the Agreement, Water Bureau staff will observe how the hillslope erosion from the 2023 Camp Creek Fire affects the source water quality of the Bull Run. The resulting improved post-fire models of sediment delivery to our water supply will help the Water Bureau better protect our source water and plan for future fires.

The not-to-exceed cost of this Intergovernmental Agreement is $180,223 for a period of two fiscal years (FY). Funding is available in the FY 2024–25 budget and funds will be requested in the FY 2025–26 budget. No staffing level changes are anticipated. It is estimated that 0.1 FTE of an existing position will be required to manage the work associated with the Intergovernmental Agreement.

Services included in the Intergovernmental Agreement are compatible with goals stated in the Bull Run Watershed Management Unit Agreement (BRWMU Agreement) for the City to augment efforts by the U.S. Forest Service–Mount Hood National Forest (Mount Hood National Forest) for fire planning and protection of the Bull Run Watershed. The Mount Hood National Forest is contributing $10,000 of Burned Area Emergency Response funds to the first year of the project. Mount Hood National Forest staff will help develop and review project deliverables; all data and tool products will be made available to the Mount Hood National Forest to assist with collaborative fire planning efforts. The BRWMU Agreement is a 20-year agreement adopted in 2007. It guides cooperative management and protection of the watershed by the City of Portland and the Mount Hood National Forest. Public input from the community, solicited during the development of the BRWMU Agreement, is documented in the accompanying 2007 Report to the Community. In addition to the BRWMU Agreement, the Bull Run Working Group, made up of U.S. Forest Service and Water Bureau staff, holds semi-annual meetings open to the public and provides annual reports the public can view. Meetings and reports frequently focus on fire planning and resilience. Additionally, the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station has strategies to inform the public of programs and policies (refer to Exhibit A, Intergovernmental Agreement). The services in the Intergovernmental Agreement will improve data and planning tools. This Council action will have a minimal financial or community impact to Water Bureau ratepayers and community-based organizations. Positive impacts include strengthening the Water Bureau’s existing planning and preparation for wildfire and enhancing the long-term resilience of the water supply. Communities and customers relying on the Bull Run supply will benefit from information, tools, and data obtained as part of the work that is completed through the Intergovernmental Agreement.