Clear Creek is a main tributary entering the south side of the lower Clackamas River near the town of Carver. Elevations in the Clear Creek watershed range from 4,226 feet on Goat Mountain to 79 feet where Clear Creek joins the Clackamas River near Carver Park. The large range in elevation results in several different ecoregions that range from Prairie Terraces and Valley Foothills in the lower elevations to Western Cascade Lowlands and Valleys in the higher elevations.
Cities surrounding the sub-watershed include Estacada and Sandy to the East, and Oregon City and Gladstone to the West. The landscape is diverse ranging from Christmas tree farms to small acreage farms. In the upper watershed on a clear day the vista contains a stunning view of Mt Hood, Mt Adams, Mt St. Helens, and Mt Rainier. The topography of the Clear Creek watershed is typical of areas within the Willamette Valley and adjacent foothills, with the downstream areas occurring within fluvial deposits from the Missoula Floods,while higher elevation areas are dominated by volcanic geology. The geologic history of the lower Clackamas region over the past 15 million years involves the interaction of volcanic and depositional processes along the border between the Cascade Mountain Range and the Portland Basin.
Projects in the watershed focus on water quality monitoring, large woody material placement for fish habitat, streamside vegetation planting to improve water quality and cool the water for salmonids and culvert replacement for fish passage. These actions were identified 2002 watershed assessment conducted in Clear Creek, which has proven to be an effective prioritization tool for watershed restoration work. Visit the Action Plan section of the website for information on Clear Creek.