Image Credit: Flood Safety District
The Portland Metro Levee System project will upgrade the Portland region’s flood risk management system to ensure it meets federal standards and protect the area from flooding.
The Portland region faces major flood risks along the Columbia River. Our flood risk management system is over 100 years old and needs major upgrades to withstand flooding.
Project overview
While the Portland region’s flood risk management system is functional, parts of the system, including levees and pump stations, need to be upgraded to continue reducing flood risk for thousands of residents and businesses, as well as hundreds of acres of natural areas, parks, and critical infrastructure.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is working with the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District (Flood Safety District) to upgrade the Portland region’s flood risk management system to meet federal standards and protect the Portland area against flooding. Flood infrastructure upgrades were identified through a USACE Feasibility Study, completed and signed in 2021. The Feasibility Study is a report delivered to Congress with recommendations for needed improvements. These upgrades are well-researched, and cost effective.
This project includes 19 improvements that will:
- Make existing levees stronger and more reliable; 30% of the system’s 27 miles of levee will be improved, raised, or replaced by floodwalls.
- Build a new levee and floodwall along the segment of the 1948 levee breach that destroyed the City of Vanport.
- Replace or upgrade outdated pump stations, which move water from behind the levees out of the system and prevent internal flooding.
- Improve access to back-up power (generators) for critical pump stations in case of a power failure.
- Increase the level of protection for the western part of the flood management system to reduce failure and to prevent overtopping and levee breaches. The Vanport (formally known as PEN 1) and Delta Park (formally known as PEN 2) sections of the system are significantly lower than the eastern parts of the system, so raising these areas will protect these areas at a higher level as well as reduce the risk of a cascading failure from these areas into sections to the West.
PMLS Project Map
The PMLS project is divided into seven packages based on the type of work that will be done. These packages are progressing at different rates and are reported on a quarterly basis to the Bond Accountability Committee.
Find the quarterly reports in the document library.
| Package Description | Quarterly Status (July 2026) |
| Package 1 raises a low spot (~12-18 in.) in the Middle Slough Section of the Flood Safety District. It is prioritized to help shift the overall PMLS status into a “construction” phase. | In design phase. |
| Package 2 fully replaces and ultimately decommissions the existing Sandy pump station. This project also decommissions the nearby gravity outfalls (aging infrastructure). | In design phase.
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| Package 3 replaces the entire westernmost levee boundary of the Flood Safety District, near Heron Lakes Golf Course, and raises low crest elevations and reinforces sections of the levee along the Columbia Slough. | In planning phase. |
| Package 4 combines four levee enhancements that both raise low crest elevations and reinforce the levee embankment. | In planning phase. |
| Package 5 upgrades or replaces Pump Station No. 2 and the 13th Ave Pump Station. This includes capacity increases as well as upgrades to the intake and discharge systems. | In planning phase. |
| Package 6 Raises levees along Bridgeton Road and Marine Drive. Resident, utility, and traffic coordination are very complex at these locations. | In planning phase. |
| Package 7 addresses floodwall connectivity along the Oregon Slough (near I-5). Developments have impacted both permanent and temporary floodwall connectivity. | In design phase. |
Project status
The US Army Corp of Engineers and the Flood Safety District are committed to working with impacted stakeholders and residents during construction and design. The approximate cost for upgrades is $182 million. The federal government will pay 65% of the cost and the Flood Safety District will pay for 35%. The local cost-share for the Portland Metro Levee System is funded through a bond measure approved by Multnomah County voters.
Upgrades to the flood management system will be divided into four general phases:
- Phase 1 – Broughton Beach Levee
- Phase 2 – Pump Stations
- Phase 3 – Primary Levees and Floodwalls
- Phase 4 – Bridgeton Levee and Floodwall
Frequently Asked Questions
When will construction begin?
Construction is divided into four general phases. Construction for Phase 1 is expected to begin in late– 2027 and end by mid-2028. Construction for Phases 2 and 3 is expected to begin in mid-2028 and be completed by 2031. The earliest Phase 4 construction could begin is 2031.
How is the project funded?
The approximate cost for upgrades to meet Federal standards is $186 million. The federal government will pay 65% of the project cost, with the UFSWQD covering the remaining 35%. The local cost-share for the Portland Metro Levee System is funded through a bond measure approved by Multnomah County voters.
What is a levee?
A levee is a barrier or wall typically made of sand and gravel that holds back water and reduces the frequency of flooding. A levee system is a group of levees that help protect an inland area from flooding.
How will this project impact the Bridgeton and East Columbia Neighborhoods?
Project impacts on Bridgeton and East Columbia residents range from direct impacts to properties, impacts to parking, and general construction impacts.
The PMLS project will fill in or reinforce several weak points along the levee system, including raising the levee that Bridgeton Road and Marine Drive were built on by an average of 18 inches. Many home frontages directly adjacent to Bridgeton Road that overlap with the project footprint may be impacted. Floating homeowners that utilize Bridgeton Road for access and parking, and many other homes in the neighborhood that are only accessible via Bridgeton Road, may also be impacted.
The USACE and Flood Safety District are working with community partners, residents, property owners, and agencies – like neighborhood associations and city bureaus – to understand how the project may impact them. The PMLS project works with community liaisons who will help share information about the project with their communities and bring feedback back to the USACE and UFSWQD.
Read the Bridgeton neighborhood fact sheet.
How will this project impact the Heron Lakes Golf Course?
The Flood Safety District is working with Portland Parks & Recreation and other City of Portland bureaus as this project will add and improve levees along the Heron Lakes Golf Course. This package is currently in the design phase and we expect to have plans available in late 2026, with construction starting in 2027.
Project Documents and Resources
Read the PMLS project fact sheet.
View quarterly reports to the Bond Accountability; the PMLS portion is on pages 7-8.
Learn more about the Heron Lakes Golf Course component of the PMLS project.
Upcoming Events
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