PHOTO BY CLARE JENSEN

Everything from tires to small vehicles to unwanted furniture and plain old trash cover the lush green vegetation in the area considered a critical wetland site.

Tribal creek gets cleaned up

By Clare Jensen

Historically, the unnamed water system that runs along Portland Avenue was known as a freshwater, fish-bearing stream connecting to the Puyallup River.

Today, it has become a dumping ground for local residents.

The area referred to as T-Street Gulch, Lister Gulch, First Creek and Clay Creek, among other things, is located on the Puyallup Tribal Reservation in Tacoma’s East Side and has slowly accumulated tons upon tons of refuse.

Everything from tires to small vehicles to unwanted furniture and plain old trash cover the lush green vegetation in the area considered a critical wetland site.

On Aug. 4, the city of Tacoma and city residents in conjunction with some representatives from Puyallup Tribe began getting the junk out of the historic creek.

Eastside Neighborhood Council Member and community activist Edwina Magrum contacted David Whited, planner for the Puyallup Tribe, about the excessive blight in the area. They then got the city of Tacoma involved to come out and kickoff the trash collection process.

“The city didn’t bat an eye,” Edwina Magrum said.

The clean up of the creek was selected as the pilot project for the clean up of critical areas as part of the city’s Make Tacoma Safe and Clean effort.

“If people feel safe and live in a clean place…crime begins to move out of the area,” David Whited said. “We’re working on gang issues on the East Side and part of the way to improve community is to give the place a facelift too.”

And aside from the potential to deter crime, the historical and environmental aspects of the creek make this the ideal point for a clean start in the East Side.

“We’re trying to get the community to think about this as a treasure…not the trashcan,” Edwina Magrum said.

After all the junk is re-moved, which could take up to a couple of weeks, invasive ivy and blackberries will be removed, and one day a trail system with historically relevant signage could be installed throughout.

David Whited noted the creek area would be incorporated into the Tribe’s long-term development plan.

“A dream would be a trail that goes all the way from Salishan, to the casino, to T-Street gulch,” he said. “We’re thinking long-term…but we’re cleaning it up as we can.”

Jeff Thomas, director of the Tribe’s timber fish and wildlife program, noted that the clean up of the area is a good start, but is no replacement for a long-term stewardship and management plan for the gulch with “extreme flow issues.”

The area also needs a singular name, once and for all, to provide identity for the area that has been neglected for so long.

“It needs an official name and a stewardship plan,” he said. “I’m concerned about that stream system because is doesn’t have that.”

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