The Amazon Creek originated as a natural drainage course long before any development of Eugene as a city. Water flowing in the creek is storm runoff from the watershed as far south as the east slope of Spencers Butte. Development through the years initiated side entrance of storm water via storm sewers to drain paved street surfaces.

The Amazon Channel History based on available records is as follows:

1912: The city first recorded engineering records of elevations, cross sections and flows.

1913: Bank overflows resulted in flooding. The city authorized ditching with teams of horses pulling earth pan scrapers.

1914 - 1922: The city recorded locations, elevations and high water overflows.

1923: High water overflow caused flooding in streets and backed up new storm sewers.

1924: City prepared plans for the first Amazon Channel improvement.

1925: City awarded Stein Bros the first contract to widen and deepen the channel from 15th and Jefferson to 17th and Pearl Street.

1926 - 1927: Minor channel cleaning was performed by city crews.

1928: City awarded L.P. Harmon a contract to widen and deepen the channel from Chambers Street to Conger property (Conger Street).

1929 - 1936: No recorded work on channel.

1947 - 1950: Channel cleaning and widening by city crews due to flooding complaints.

1951: Major channel improvement from Fern Ridge Dam to Chambers Street. Channel design and construction by Corps of Engineers. City of Eugene obtained right of way and easements and agreed to permanently maintain at city expense.

1952: Construction completed on above channel section and released to city.

1953 - 1954: Gauging stations established. City repaired bank cave-in between Willamette and Olive.

1955: Minor cleaning by city crews.

1956-1958: Major channel improvement from west of Jefferson Street to 24th Avenue and Pearl. Channel design and construction by Corps of Engineers. City of Eugene obtained right of way and easements and agreed to permanently maintain at city expense.

1959 - 1979: City of Eugene Public Works Maintenance has continuously maintained channel including bank mowing, structure repair, flow control, silt removal and other tasks with a very limited budget.

1957: City crews cleaned the channel bottom from Madison Street to Polk Street. A ramp was built with the Allis Chalmers front end loader. Trucks were driven into the channel and loaded. No work was done on the banks.

1959 - 1960: Lee Henry and Gordon Smith used the hoptoe backhoe from Garfield east to Chambers St. They worked from the north side, piling the spoils on the south side.

1961: Lee Henry and Gordon Smith used the same method from Chambers to Polk Street.

1960 - 1962: Some hand work with machetes and scythes.

1962 - 1965: Some backhoe work in the bottom.

1966: The city contracted with Wildish for gradall work. The city supplied the trucks and drivers and Wildish cleaned from 24th Avenue south to Hilyard St.

1968: The city purchased a gradall. Lee started at the fairgrounds, worked west on the south side to Tyler, then worked both north and south sides from Chambers west to City View leaving an island in the center.

1969: May 28th - October 20th = 38 days
City crews cleaned the Amazon from Hilyard to Fox Hollow.

1970: Sept 10th - October 19th = 20 days
City crews cleaned between Beltline and Danebo on the south side and the east side to Chambers Street. The concrete section was also cleaned.

1971: July 25th - October 19th = 25 days
City crews cleaned the Amazon from Royal to the south.

1972: June 8th - October 17th = 21 days
City crews cleaned the Amazon from a point south of Royal to 1 mile west of Fir Butte Road and spot cleaned from north of S.P. tracks to the diversion dam. Crews removed trees from the channel between 30th and 31st and at 24th Avenue.

1973: June 12 - October 9 = 18 days
City crews cleaned from west of Danebo to a point south of Royal, and then cleaned from Royal to Fern Ridge. Crews removed trees from the Amazon from south of Hilyard to Snell and at 24th Avenue.

1974: Sept. 3 - Sept. 5 = 3 days
City crew dug out and rip-rapped small slide area west of Fir Butte Road and cleaned the concrete section. They also placed rip rap at 24th Avenue and Amazon and at Dillard and Amazon.

1975: September
City crews removed trees from the channel from Martin to 24th Avenue.

1976: May 25th - October 21st = 34 days
City crews cleaned Amazon east of Fairgrounds at the end of the lined section, then cleaned Amazon west of Chambers to Polk. They repaired the slide area west of Fir Butte Road and removed a bridge across Amazon the between Greenhill and Fir Butte.

1977: August 29th - Sept. 28th = 18 days
City crews cleaned west of Danebo. In October, they worked on the slide area west of Fir Butte Road.

1978: Sept. 28th - Nov. 9th = 24 days
City crews cleaned west of Danebo.

1979: June 13 - October 18th = 59 days
City crews cleaned from the Diversion dam to Royal Avenue, then cleaned from Royal to Greenhill.

1980: August 27th - October 20 = 27 days
City crews cleaned from the Diversion dam to Royal. They started at the Diversion dam, working to Royal with the Cat in the bottom of the channel. They stopped 600 -800 feet short of Royal.

1981: April 27th - Nov. 3rd = 70 days
City crews cleaned from 24th to Fox Hollow, then cleaned west of Jefferson at end of lined section. City crews also cleaned from Beltline to Danebo. (The reason for skipping around was to work on some problem areas, such as the outflow for the Interior Street ditch)

1982: May 13th - Oct. 22nd = 60 day
City crews cleaned the Amazon from east of Garfield to Polk (working off the south side in Fairgrounds area) and worked on the slide area west of Fir Butte Road.

1983: April 21st - Nov. 7th = 78 1/2 days
City crews took the fence down and worked off the asphalt on the north side at the Fairgrounds from April 21st. From May 4th to June 8th, they started west of City View and worked toward the west (40 days). City crews also cleaned lined section.

1984: July 25th - Nov. 4th = 40 days
City crews cleaned from Baily Hill to Beltline. Private contractor was hired to clean from Terry Street to SPRR with dragline.

1985: May 21st - July 26th = 15 days
City crews cleaned from west of Bertelsen to Beltline. Private contractor (Willamette Quarries) was hired to clean the channel from Beltline to Spectra Physics and to excavate an area in the flood plain at Spectra Physics to enlarge a basin and extend a pond area.

1986: August 28th - October 29th
City crews cleaned from 24th to Fox Hollow Road. Private contractor was hired to repair the slide area west of Fir Butte Road and to clean the channel from Greenhill Road to the Diversion Dam.

1987: April 16th - November 10th
City crews cleaned from Fox Hollow to Snell, repaired bank sloughing from Hilyard to Fox Hollow and removed trees (by hand) from 30th to 32nd. Crews also cleaned the channel from the south side between Friendly and Van Buren. The CAT was placed in the channel to remove an island at Van Buren. Private contractor was hired to repair a wash-out over a sanitary sewer line on the west bank of the Amazon near West 36th Avenue to widen the section of bank opposite the washed-out area.

1988: City crews cleaned the lined section on August 23-24 and repaired bank sloughing from Fox Hollow to Snell.