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Middle Amazon Creek <br />Middle Amazon Creek <br />A. Location <br />For the purposes of this report, Middle Amazon Creek starts at 24th Avenue and ends at Bailey <br />Hill Road. <br />From 24 Avenue to the Fairgrounds, the Middle Amazon Creek flows within a concrete -lined <br />channel. Between 18th and 14th Avenues, the channel turns into a northwest direction. West of <br />Jefferson Street, the creek exits the concrete -lined section and flows westward, along the Lane <br />County Fairground property. At the end of the Fairgrounds, the channel passes under the bridge <br />at Polk Street and flows toward Westmoreland Park and Garfield Park. In this segment, the creek <br />is constrained between private property and the bike path. <br />The creek flows under Chambers Street before it reaches Garfield Park and flows under the <br />Garfield Street Bridge. The next passes are the bridges at City View Street and Oak Patch Street. <br />In between the bridge passes, the creek meanders a bit. After the Oak Patch bridge, the channel <br />flows in a westerly direction under the bridge at Acorn Park, the Richardson bike bridge, and the <br />Bailey Hill bridge. <br />B. Geology/ Landforms — Geomorphology/ Stream Shape <br />The first part of the Middle Amazon Creek flows through a concrete - walled channel. The creek <br />comes out of the concrete -lined channel on the east side of the Lane County Fairgrounds. With <br />few riffle and pool structures, the creek flows very straight and flat from the Fairgrounds to <br />Chambers Street. The slopes are very steep in this part. The soil is deep and poorly drained. It is <br />a typically hydric soil, which is capable of supporting wetland vegetation. <br />In the whole next segment to Bailey Hill, the end of the Middle Amazon Creek, the slopes are <br />particularly steep and the channel is still straight and flat with just a few riffle -pool structures. <br />The soil has the same condition as the part before. There is bedrock in several sections in this <br />part. <br />C. Human Activities <br />In the 1950s, the creek between 24th Avenue and the Fairgrounds was engineered to improve <br />flood conveyance. Since then, this segment has flowed through a concrete -lined channel. Also <br />during this time, other portions of Amazon Creek were channelized; this included deepening and <br />straightening. The section between Oak Patch and Acorn Park was widened in 2001. The banks <br />of the south side of the channel have been laid bank, expanding the cross section of the creek to <br />increase capacity and improve natural resource conditions. <br />17 <br />