Implementation of the plan is on-going. Since 1999, the Estuary Partnership has achieved some key accomplishments. Most actions have been initiated but will require a long term sustained effort to achieve measurable results.

Accomplishments
Since the Estuary Partnership began implementing the Management Plan in 1999, the Partnership has enjoyed a great deal of success working on dozens of projects. Some accomplishments follow.

Education

• Worked with over 38,600 children and 400 teachers in classrooms and field programs since 2000
• Provided 3,739 children with on-river trips
• Conducted summer school programs in 2001and 2002
• Published and distributed Endangered Species Coloring Book and Columbia River Activity Book to every fourth grader, approximately 40,000 students, in the study area
• Produced annual Calendar with children's artwork since 2000
• Completed and funded School of Discovery pilot with two school districts
• Secured large private donation to support education partnerships through 2004
• Secured private foundation grant for on-river trips for children

Habitat Restoration

• Restored 2873 acres of habitat with 2004 awards;
• Secured funding from the EPA Watershed Initiative, Bonneville Power Administration, and NOAA Community Partnership program that has funded dozens of partners and habitat restoration projects in the lower Columbia River region.
• Secured funding to complete habitat mapping and inventory of entire 146 river miles from Bonneville to mouth - mapping underway
• Hosted habitat workshop in June 2001 for over 100 scientists: participants developed scientifically based criteria to assist in restoration and protection of habitat
• Developed and tested restoration criteria that focus on restoring critical functions and habitat types.
• Developed a master list of potential restoration sites with partners
• Developed and maintained an inventory of major restoration projects by key partners
• Secured $30,000,000 authorization from Congress for habitat restoration in lower Columbia River and Tillamook Bay and $6,000,000 in appropriation for Columbia River
• Developing strategic habitat restoration prioritization plan

Species Recovery and Planning

• Established policy level Executive Committee, requested by the Governors, to address and coordinate Endangered Species Recovery efforts
• Designated Lead Entity by Northwest Power Planning Council in Sub-basin planning process and completed Sub Basin plan for the Lower Columbia and Columbia Estuary Sub Basins
• Identified six Subbasin Strategies for the two subbasins
• Helping NOAA Fisheries develop Phase 2 recovery plans

Volunteers

• Conduct annual volunteer water quality monitoring events. Through four years, 2,213 students and volunteers have sampled dissolved oxygen, turbidity, water temperature and pH at 241 sites from Bonneville Dam to the Pacific Ocean.
• Planted over 7,500 trees, and removed 11 acres of Himalayan blackberry and English ivy at nine restoration sites
• Involved over 300 girl scouts and 1,500 volunteers in planting and invasive species removal projects
• Involved 50 volunteers in ground truthing tasks for the Estuary Partnership habitat mapping project
• Provided over 1,130 students with service learning opportunities in 31 different projects

Water Trail

• Launched 146 mile water trail for non motorized boaters that recreates the last leg of the Lewis and Clark Journey down the Columbia
• Developed interactive mapping water trail web site that includes paddling information, tidal and channel information, safety issues, history, and some of the economic and commercial interests along the water trail

Stormwater and Land Use

• Completed work with Oregon City and Longview to improve their building and land use codes to reduce runoff
• Developed a web-based field guide to highlight local examples of effective stormwater management techniques

Pollutants

• Implemented water quality and ecosystem monitoring with funding from the Bonneville Power Administration. Initiated monitoring for water quality elements including: nutrients, productivity, emerging contaminants, toxics such as PAHs and PCBs, currently used pesticides, trace elements in water. Initiated monitoring for Juvenile Salmonids: PCB congeners, DDT’s, Organochlorine pesticides, PBDE’s
• Initiated habitat monitoring that for elements including: tidal channel area, total edge tidal channels, elevation, bathymetry, channel cross sectional profiles, large woody debris, water elevation, lateral extent of flooding, velocity, temperature, turbidity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and species composition, frequency, stem density and percent cover of vegetation cover types

General

• Awarded 51 small grants totaling over $430,000 since between 1996 and 2003
• Worked with Association of National Estuary Programs and secured 25% increase in authorization and appropriation to EPA NEP base budget, additional funds beginning in '03
  Initiated corporate and individual partnerships options and increased corporate sponsorships from one in 2000 to over 40 in 2004.
• Host an annual Dinner and Auction to raise funds and awareness of the program. Over 40 sponsors and hundreds of guests participated in 2004.
• Secured a signed Management Plan Implementation Agreement amongst the Governors of Oregon and Washington and US EPA that committed the parties to implement the Management Plan
• Completed the Management Plan for the Lower Columbia River- first two-state framework for estuary ecosystem restoration and protection