On Tuesday, state officials moved forward with the sale of 65 acres of shoreline on the southwestern side of Hayden Island to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The transaction, if ultimately approved, would pave the way for the creation of a conservation area that aligns with the environmental mitigation requirements for the upcoming Interstate Bridge project across the Columbia River.
Hayden Island, located at the boundary between Oregon and Washington, features a stark contrast between its east and west sides. The eastern portion, part of Portland, is developed with a mix of commercial, residential, and marina properties. In contrast, the western side remains largely undeveloped, with forested land that is part of Multnomah County and falls within Portland’s urban growth boundary.
Public access to West Hayden Island has been restricted by a chain-link fence, and the area is primarily owned by BNSF Railway, the Port of Portland, and Bonneville Power Administration. Visitors can currently only access the shoreline by water.
Under the proposed land sale, ODOT plans to remove dredged soils that have been used to fill the shoreline of Hayden Island. This action aims to reduce the potential flooding risks posed by the construction of massive seismic foundations for the new I-5 bridge. Additionally, the soil removal will enhance aquatic habitats in the North Portland Harbor, benefiting species such as salmon.
Bill Warncke, the deputy environmental manager for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, highlighted that the mitigation effort will also fulfill ODOT’s natural resource obligations to the City of Portland. “The removal will provide salmon habitat, offset our fill in the floodplain, [and] help satisfy our natural resource mitigation needs,” Warncke said during a meeting on Tuesday.
The 65-acre site will be permanently preserved under a conservation easement, a move that aligns with long-standing conservation goals for West Hayden Island. In a 2022 blog post for the Bird Alliance of Oregon, Bob Sallinger, former conservation director for the group, emphasized the ecological value of the area, noting its shoreline habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead, large stands of cottonwood and ash trees, and its role as a refuge for over 120 bird species.
Sallinger expressed optimism about the potential for the island’s protection, stating, “When fully protected, West Hayden Island will be one of the largest additions to the regional system of natural areas in decades and will be the third largest natural area in the City of Portland, behind only Forest Park and Smith and Bybee Lakes in size.”
During the meeting, Warncke clarified that ODOT does not plan to address the current barriers to public access for the shoreline at this stage. However, Governor Tina Kotek, chair of the State Land Board, noted that discussions are ongoing with the goal of ultimately transforming West Hayden Island into a natural resource habitat with public access. “There is a lot of conversation finally with a future goal of making all of West Hayden Island a natural resource habitat/public access/transformation,” Kotek said.
The board’s decision to approve the sale opens a 45-day public comment period, which will allow members of the public and stakeholders to voice their opinions. The comment period is expected to begin in the coming weeks, and comments can be submitted via the Oregon Department of State Lands website.
The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, which includes plans for a new I-5 bridge, is slated to begin in-water construction in 2027. Mitigation efforts at West Hayden Island are expected to coincide with the bridge’s construction timeline.
