What is Ross Island?

Ross Island is an approximately 400-acre complex of four islands that occupies the middle of the Willamette River in south Portland. The City of Portland owns about 50 acres of Ross Island plus Toe Island, while the R.B. Pamplin Corporation owns the rest including Ross Island lagoon, Hardtack Island and East Island. The upland areas of Ross Island are important habitats for both migratory and resident birds and fish. More than 70 years of sand and gravel mining have created a lagoon in the center of the island, more than 120 feet deep, that becomes stagnant in the summer months, contributing to toxic algae conditions. Mining ceased in 2001.