Colorful new mural brings water education to life at Guy Lee Elementary
Springfield, OR – A 50-foot mural was installed early this morning at Guy Lee Elementary, marking the 10th anniversary of Springfield’s UpStream Art project. The new artwork, the largest of its kind in the city, stretches across the sidewalk on Harlow Road and brings attention to how stormwater flows from streets to rivers.
The mural, designed by local artist Rae Matagora, shows the journey of rain as it runs off roads and into rivers, alongside fish, frogs, and other creatures that rely on clean water.
“The mural shows that rain moves over the street and connects to nature,” said Matagora. “It’s meant to spark curiosity and have some fun.”
A First for Gateway
This is the first UpStream Art mural in Springfield’s Gateway neighborhood, adding to 41 others spread across the city. The location was chosen for its heavy traffic and foot traffic from shoppers, students, and bus riders.
“In this part of town, rain can’t soak in because of pavement, roofs, and parking lots,” said Peter Jaeger with Springfield’s Stormwater Team. “Instead, it runs off, carrying things like litter, oil, and chemicals into our rivers. Every drop tells a story, and we hope this mural reminds residents that keeping streets clean keeps rivers clean.”
Built to Last
Unlike past UpStream Art murals that used traffic paint, the 10th anniversary mural is made from thermoplastic tiles that were melted onto the pavement by a City street crew. The material is commonly used for pavement markings. It’s more durable and will stay brighter, and last years longer than traditional traffic paint.
Art With a Purpose
The UpStream Art project is hosted by the City of Springfield’s Stormwater Team. It began in 2016 and has since commissioned 45 murals at storm drains across Springfield. The project is funded by stormwater utility fees, not taxes, and fulfills requirements from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality that the City educate the public about the stormwater system and how to prevent the pollution of rivers from urban runoff.
Springfield’s stormwater is not cleaned like wastewater. Anything that washes off roofs, driveways, parking lots, or streets flows directly into storm drains, local streams, and eventually the Willamette River. That includes oil leaks, yard debris, pesticides, and trash. That’s why the City invests in education, cleanup, and storm drain maintenance as part of its permit with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
A Long History of Stormwater in Springfield
Springfield’s stormwater system dates back to the City’s earliest days. In 1892, the first big decision of the first town council was to improve the roads and alleys, and Springfields stormwater system was born. It reduced mud by directing rain off the land. Over the decades as paved areas developed and less rain was able to absorb into plants and soil, pipes and channels were built to carry stormwater straight to waterways. Some of today’s open channels used to be irrigation ditches for the area’s orchards.
Today, Springfield’s Stormwater staff respond to pollution reports, clean and maintain drains and pipes, oversee construction and new developments for proper drainage, and work with businesses on clean water practices. All activities are tracked and reported to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to show Springfield is complying with state and federal water quality requirements.
The 2025 Mural
The new mural can be seen in the Gateway area, outside Guy Lee Elementary at 755 Harlow Road.
“I believe fun art is fine art,” said Matagora. “If it also reminds us to protect our rivers, that’s even better.”
For more information:
Take a Virtual Tour of the Murals at bit.ly/upstreamtour or email the Stormwater Team at WaterResources@springfield-or.gov.
