In This Issue
• One-of-a-kind nest at human's eye view

• Live winter, think spring

• Wastewater treatment grabs the brass ring

Did you know?
Eagles favor fish as their primary food source and supplement their diet with birds and small mammals.

Who we are
Clean Water Services is a wastewater and stormwater utility committed to protecting water resources in the Tualatin River Watershed.

One-of-a-kind nest at human's eye view

At 11 feet high, 7 feet wide and weighing 1500 pounds, the nation’s only authentic Bald Eagle nest on exhibit is a home any bird—or human—can envy. Rescued from a deteriorating black cottonwood tree near Fernhill wetlands in Forest Grove, the nest is a sight to squawk at from every angle. You can get up close and personal with the nest at the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Education Center in Hillsboro. The January 20 exhibit opening drew over 1000 spectators.

The Bald Eagle nest exhibit is free, but visitors are encouraged to bring quarters for the “Give an Eagle for the Eagles” campaign to raise one million quarters to support the exhibit. Because the nest is a strong draw for watershed education programs, Clean Water Services' staff has been instrumental in the nest salvage, preservation, and development of the exhibit.

Live winter, think spring

As you bundle up each dark morning then dry off after a soaking day, your mind drifts to warmer and sunnier days ahead. Spring planting is only a few months away and we want you to get prepped with the right information so you can grab your hoe and run. Take these free Naturescaping classes that will jump start your season with healthy watershed planting tips. The Basic workshop includes a short outdoor field trip to a nearby home or community project to see naturescaping in action. The Site Planning I workshop gives participants experience with the steps involved in planning a landscape or project. Learn how to map your property, assess your garden style and needs, do some “garden dreaming” and work on a landscape design scenario. Register at (503) 797-1842 or via email at naturescaping@yahoo.com. Sign up early since class sizes are limited.

• Naturescaping Basic
  Saturday, March 10
  9 am—1 pm
  Tigard Public Library, 13500 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223
  Register by March 7
• Naturescaping Site Planning I (Basic class is prerequisite)
  Saturday, April 28
  9 am—1 pm
  Tigard Public Library, 13500 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223
  Register by April 25

The Naturescaping for Clean Rivers workshops are sponsored by the Tualatin Basin Partners for Clean Water, Joint Water Commission and the City of Tigard.

Wastewater treatment grabs the brass ring

Clean Water Services’ Rock Creek Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility in Hillsboro was awarded the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2006 National Clean Water Act Recognition Award for outstanding Operations and Maintenance practices for large facilities with advanced treatment.

Each year, EPA recognizes outstanding achievements in the water quality field through its Clean Water Act Recognition Awards. Now in its 20th year, facilities are nominated by regulators and evaluated by specially appointed selection panels. The award winners meet EPA’s rigorous criteria for excellence. This honor was given just a year ago to Clean Water Services’ Durham Treatment Facility in Tigard. Wastewater Department Director Mark Poling said, “We are really proud to earn this recognition for the Rock Creek Facility after our Durham Facility won it last year."

The Rock Creek Facility won the EPA award for outstanding operations and maintenance including an improved process to remove phosphorus from wastewater with a combination of biological, chemical and physical processes. The results of this new process have been a remarkable 85 to 95% removal of soluble phosphorus that has saved Clean Water Services annual operating costs in excess of $100,000. The process has also reduced impact on the environment by reducing the amount of alum added to the wastewater, thereby reducing aluminum and its salts into the biosolids, and lower dissolved solids in the cleaned wastewater.

The Rock Creek Facility provides wastewater treatment for the City of Hillsboro, portions of the City of Beaverton, Aloha, and unincorporated Washington County. The facility provides advanced or tertiary treatment, exceeding the treatment level of 98 percent of wastewater facilities in the United States. Through innovative advanced technology and processes, wastewater from homes and businesses is cleaned and returned to the Tualatin River, providing vital clean water that improves river flow, habitat and water quality.