Buttes, creeks and old berry fields

Hydroseeding in Gresham, OR

Gresham climbs from the Johnson Creek floodplain to buttes with slopes near 50 percent.

Get a Free Estimate (971) 588-2069

No-cost site visit, then a quote in writing
Seeding planned around the Willamette Valley rain calendar
Silt fence and stabilization installed to your approved erosion plan

Seeding on Gresham's Slopes and Creek Flats

Hydroseeding in Gresham means planning for both creek bottoms and steep buttes. Johnson Creek runs west through the city, and about 23 percent of the creek's watershed lies inside Gresham. To the south and east the land rises into buttes; the watershed record notes that Gresham Butte and Hogan Butte have the steepest slopes in the basin, a few of them around 50 percent.

On the buttes

A 50 percent slope rises one foot for every two feet across. Hydromulch alone tends to slip on that kind of grade during a Willamette Valley winter. On butte lots we usually recommend a bonded fiber matrix or a straw or coir blanket pinned over the seed, and we break long slopes with wattles where runoff gathers.

Near the creek

The Johnson Creek floodplain was laid down by the Missoula Floods between 18,000 and 13,000 years ago, and the creek flooded 37 times between 1941 and 2006. Since the 1990s, planners have worked to cut erosion and protect streamside buffers. If your yard backs onto the creek or a tributary such as Butler or Hogan Creek, expect us to keep silt fence between bare soil and the water until the grass is established.

Clay to the south

Clays that take in little water dominate the eastern end of the watershed and the land south of the creek, so rain there runs off fast. We loosen compacted subsoil and add topsoil where it is thin so the seedbed drains, then spray.

Farm ground turned into neighborhoods

From the 1910s to the 1960s Gresham's economy rested on raspberries and other berries, grapes and vegetables. Old field ground often has fair topsoil but uneven grades from decades of cultivation, so yard grading comes first on many lots.

Whether your Gresham lot sits on a butte, near the creek or on flat ground, get a free estimate or phone (971) 588-2069 and we can go over it.

Gresham Terrain and Water

Johnson Creek share. About 23 percent of the Johnson Creek watershed lies within Gresham, and in 2000 the creek drained 53 percent of the city.
Steep buttes. Gresham Butte and Hogan Butte have the steepest slopes in the Johnson Creek watershed, some near 50 percent.
Flood record. Johnson Creek flooded 37 times between 1941 and 2006, despite 1930s rock lining of its lower 15 miles.
Berry era. Berries, especially raspberries, plus grapes and vegetables were Gresham's main economy from the 1910s to the 1960s.

Silt Fence, Wattles & Inlet Protection in Portland, OR

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Gresham Questions

My lot is on Gresham Butte. Will the seed wash off?

It can if it only gets a light mulch. On steep butte ground we use a heavier bonded fiber matrix or blankets and plan for winter runoff.

My backyard drops to Johnson Creek. What do I need?

A sediment barrier between bare soil and the creek, a tackified mulch on the slope, and as much of the existing streamside vegetation left alone as possible.

Why does my south Gresham yard stay soggy?

Soils south of the creek are clay-heavy and absorb little water. Grading, topsoil and sometimes a drain line fix more than reseeding does.

Is old farmland good for a hydroseed lawn?

Often, once the grade is smoothed. We check how the soil drains and add topsoil only where it is thin.

Free Estimates in Gresham, OR

Site visits anywhere in Gresham, from Rockwood to the buttes.

Call (971) 588-2069 Free Estimate