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Lower Amazon Creek <br />Lower Amazon Creek <br />Location <br />The Lower Amazon Creek flows from Bailey Hill Road to the Fern Ridge Reservoir. The creek <br />flows in a westerly direction and passes under bridges at 11 Avenue, Bertelsen Street, Beltline <br />Highway and Danebo Road. At the Danebo bridge, the creek turns to flow more in northwesterly <br />direction. After passing the Terry Street bridge and the Pacific Southern Railroad Bridge, the <br />creek flows through Meadowlark Prairie. In this park, Amazon Creek forks into two channels. <br />The city does not maintain the original Amazon Creek. With the exception of a short segment <br />through Dragonfly Bend, only the Amazon Diversion Channel, which flows to the Fern Ridge <br />Reservoir, is under the jurisdiction of the City of Eugene. This constructed channel meanders <br />through Meadowlark Prairie and, after passing the Greenhill and Fir Butte bridges, it flows to the <br />Fern Ridge Reservoir. <br />Geology/ Landforms — Geomorphology/ Stream Shape <br />The Lower Amazon Creek begins to look more like a natural creek here. In some parts, there are <br />new floodplain benches. But the creek is still relatively straight and fla,t with just a few riffle and <br />pool structures. <br />In the first section of this reach the slopes are still very steep. Between the Railroad Bridge and <br />Royal Avenue, there are almost no slopes. This part is very different from all the other sections. <br />Instead of a riparian forest, there is prairie. The creek meanders through Meadowlpark Prairie. <br />Through the next section, from Royal Avenue to Fern Ridge Reservoir, the slopes are again very <br />steep. The water level is at times elevated above the street level as the water flows within <br />constructed levees. <br />The soil is deep and poorly drained here. It is a typicaly hydric soil, which is capable of <br />supporting wetland vegetation. <br />Human Activities <br />In the 1940s, the creek was channelized to improve flood conveyance; this included deepening <br />and straightening. A new channel has been built from Royal Avenue to the Fern Ridge <br />Reservoir. The original Amazon Creek is smaller and flows in a northerly direction out of town. <br />In the last several years, the city of Eugene has been redesigning this section of the flood control <br />system. Through Meadowlark Prairie, the diversion channel has the ability to meander across the <br />landscape unhindered. <br />25 <br />