Page 100 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

How to Protect a City from Flooding Meridith Greer, clad in waist-high waders and waterproof boots, treks across a stream in Salem, Oregon. She's headed for a pile of sticks and logs that block the waterway's meandering progress. Gathering up the muddy wood, she hauls it out of the stream, freeing the water to flow again. She also marks the trouble spot on a map. Greer was part of a team of Willamette University interns that the City of Salem hires each year to care for its urban streams. With an average of 40 inches of rain per year, Salem has a long history of grappling with nature to mitigate flooding. When rivers across the city rise above their banks, the water blocks roads, traps cars, and causes fatal landslides. 99