The Human Access Project

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This program aired originally on June 22, 2026

The Human Access Project (HAP) was founded in 2010 on the simple belief that Portlanders should be able to swim in their river. Since then the organization has worked on a variety of fronts to transform the Willamette River’s image from a polluted waterway best avoided, to a beloved river that enriches the life of the city it flows through.

On this episode of Locus Focus we talk with the organization's outgoing  executive director - Willie Levenson. We’ll discuss Portland's growing river recreation economy and the findings of the new economic impact study; the science and engineering behind the Ross Island Lagoon channel design and what it could mean for water quality and harmful algae blooms; and Human Access Project's leadership transition and what comes next under Scott's leadership.