Behind a chain-link fence at the end of a road in Northeast Portland, a stretch of one of the city's most neglected and polluted waterways is getting new life.

Why it matters: The Columbia Slough, which runs parallel to the Columbia for about 19 miles, has been turned into a natural oasis in a heavily industrialized pocket of Portland.

• The area, near I-205, has been transformed from a thicket of aging, unstable dogwood trees, blackberry bushes, and invasive plants to a rejuvenated riparian ecosystem.

The project was spearheaded by the Columbia Slough Watershed Council as part of its Healthy Industrial Lands Initiative, with help from environmental restoration firm Mosaic Ecology and in partnership with more than a dozen landowners.

What they're saying: Chad Honl, one of those property owners, has been taken aback by the difference.

• He grew up in Portland and remembers canoeing in the Slough as a kid, when chemicals tinted the water bright blues, greens and coppers.
• "It was so polluted," Honl told Axios. "I'm amazed at the clarity of the water now."

By the numbers: Over the last roughly 18 months, the 16-acre area has undergone a complete overhaul.

• Tons of trash were removed — including a full-size oven — and more than 20,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted, along with an untold number of wildflower seeds.

• The project was funded through a nearly $200,000 grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

Yes, but: The project hasn't been without its challenges, Alex Staunch, a natural resource scientist with Mosaic, told Axios.

• It's been hard to connect with some property owners, and it's taken some cajoling to convince others the work is free to them and not a scam.
• Others have wanted to keep their thorny blackberry bushes as a deterrent to trespassing.

As a secluded area, managing dumping and trash will always be an issue, but it's become much more manageable now that the land is clear, Staunch said.

"Natural areas in urban environments will always require some level of management," he said. "But our primary goal was to support the natural process."

What's next

More than a dozen new restaurants and bars have opened in Portland in recent weeks.

• It can be hard to keep track, so here's what we have our eye on.

🍜 Guay Tiew (Pearl District) serves one of Thailand's most popular street food dishes: build-your-own noodle soup bowls.

🍷 The Stazione (Central Eastside) is Buona Notte winery's new bar, which offers a robust wine list and small, snacky plates.

🥖 Ponto (Alberta) specializes in Korean salt breads — subtly sweet dough baked around a stick of butter.

🍔 Steely's (Hawthorne) is your new go-to for smash burgers, fried bologna sandwiches and wings.

🥂 Buvons (Buckman) is L'Orange's sister bar focusing on none other than champagne and grilled cheese.

🥯 Pipsqueak Bagels (Creston-Kenilworth) owner Madilyn Gibbons said she can go toe-to-toe with New York's best — and we think it lives up to the hype.

🇲🇽 República (Pearl District) is back after a short closure, now focusing solely on brunch and lunch.

🍪 KokiKoki Bakehouse (Boise) is dishing out gigantic cookies, as well as matcha and coffee drinks, in the former JinJu location.

🇫🇷 Say When (Nob Hill) offers "blue collar" French food brought to you by the same owner of North Portland's Sit Tite.

🔜 What we're watching: Chef Jose Lalo Camarena of Metlapíl will helm The Malarkey, a new Pearl District steakhouse and seafood restaurant, opening later this summer.

• Prince Coffee plans to open its North Killingsworth location mid-May, we're told.
• Columbia Farms U-Pick will offer its own New Zealand-style ice cream on Sauvie Island just in time for summer.
• Plus: Sure Shot Burger is moving into its first brick-and-mortar just steps away from its food cart in Concordia next month.

Police identified the man who drove a car armed with improvised explosives into the Multnomah Athletic Club Saturday as 48-year-old Bruce Valentine Whitman.

• According to family members and court records, Whitman was a disgruntled former employee who long struggled with mental illness and had a history of harassing members of the exclusive club. (OPB)

🎤 Ashanti will perform during halftime at The Fire's regular season home opener game on Saturday, which tips off at 6pm. (KGW)

🌳 A resident in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood made repeated calls about drug dealing, derilict RVs and homeless camps in front of his home only for the city to fine him for a hedge that edged into the public right of way. (The Oregonian)

🤖 Several Western states, including Oregon, are using artificial intelligence to help detect wildfires in some of the state's most sparsely populated and rural forests. (OPB)

Are rising gas prices and airfare making you rethink summer travel?

• With gas around $5.40 per gallon, is a road trip no longer feasible for your family? Are you booking a getaway closer to home due to skyrocketing plane ticket prices?

Tell us how you're adjusting your summer plans (or not) by hitting reply or emailing us at [email protected].

• We may feature your response in an upcoming story.