The Rebirth of Turtle Flats

On October 13, 2015 Friends of Buford Park & Pisgah purchased the 62-acre “Turtle Flats” property on the Willamette River located near Mt. Pisgah. Prior to the purchase, the floodplain had been used for gravel mining and a dumping spot for landfill items and old concrete highway pieces.

As a result of this the area and wildlife suffered. During the restoration process, geologist and architects worked to construct a new layout that would allow the pond turtles, river otters, waterfowl, songbirds and native fish to go to and fro from the main river freely and have a clean space to reproduce and nest.

As the weeks of digging and ivy clearing went on, more and more and more of the new shape began to show through. The not so occasional rusted Volkswagen Beetle was pulled from one of the main ponds and is in the talks of becoming a remade statue at the front gate.

Like many floodplain areas, Turtle Flats has shown resilience, even as one area is dug up because it showed high levels of chemicals, the bones of the area only show how much the area has to grow and prosper with the help of Friends of Budford Park & Pisgah.

Early morning fog rolls over the main pond at Turtle Flats, as the restoration projects begins.

A mother Mallard duck and her three chicks swim close to the river bank adjacent the ponds. In the coming year, the river will be reconnected to the Willamette River allowing for easy travel between the the bodies of water.

A dragonfly flies from strand of grass to strand of grass on an off construction day at Turtle Flats.

A group of students and volunteers from University of Oregon and Eugene cut and pull ivy from the land at Turtle Flats.

Two volunteers from Friends of Budford Park & Pisgah head to their cars after two and half hours of pulling ivy during a heavy rain and thunderstorm at Turtle Flats.

A storm brews as volunteers get muddy and wet while pulling the engrossed ivy out of the area.

As construction tills and remakes the land around it, pumps remove water from one of the ponds to help lower the water level for upcoming construction. The high, steep, banks make it difficult for animals to lay eggs and eat insects, so the construction team plans to help level out the area.

The tumultuous sky reflects in a small water filled path as volunteers pull ivy from the surrounding area.

A small bird perches on a log off the banks of a main pond in Turtle Flats. After the restoration project is complete, birds, waterfowls, pond turtles and fish will have a more sustainable area to breed and live.

The sun hides behind a cloudy sky during the reconstruction period of Turtle Flats.

A rusted Volkswagen Beetle becomes a beacon of hope and new beginnings as the old landfill/gravel mining pits are reborn.

The sun peaks through a rain-drenched Turtle Flats.