Habitat Enhancement

The Estuary Partnership involves volunteers in habitat restoration and enhancement activities throughout the lower Columbia River, engaging them to help restore critical riparian habitat to benefit fish and wildlife. Volunteers participate in a variety of projects including, invasive plant removal, native tree and shrub plantings, site maintenance, and restoration site monitoring. Students are frequent volunteers, participating as part of school requirements or service learning projects, through clubs such as girl or boy scouts, or with family for a fun weekend service activity.

Habitat restoration and enhancement activities have taken place at many sites along the lower Columbia River and tributary streams. Two projects exemplify the type of work the Estuary Partnership volunteers are undertaking:

Lacamas Creek
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Lacamas Creek

Lacamas Creek, located in Camas, WA, is an important salmon bearing stream. The Estuary Partnership, City of Camas, Georgia Pacific, Washington Fish and Wildlife Service and others are working together to restore approximately 3 acres. Habitat types include riparian areas along the creek and upland areas adjacent to a trail. Students and volunteers are completing most of the restoration work, which began in Spring 2004, and has included removing Himalayan blackberry and English Ivy, and planting native trees and shrubs. Restoration activities will benefit fish and wildlife, including endangered Chum salmon. In addition to the restoration activities, volunteers are actively maintaining the site and new plantings. The Clark County Conservation District developed a planting plan (PDF) for the site to guide volunteer efforts.

Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, located in Ridgefield, WA, encompasses over 5,000 acres of historic Columbia River floodplain. The Estuary Partnership works with the Refuge and the Friends of the Refuge to organize habitat restoration and enhancement activities at six sites on the Refuge. The sites were historically floodplain forest but had been cleared for livestock grazing. As they are not used or managed for waterfowl, the Refuge has designated them as priority restoration areas. Restoration activities consist primarily of planting of native trees and shrubs, including willow, cottonwood, red osier-dogwood, and other varieties.

Other sites where the Estuary Partnership conducts habitat restoration activities include:
Sandy River Delta, Troutdale, OR
Steele Park, Beaverton, OR
Steigerwald Refuge, Washougal, WA
Portland Park sites, Portland, OR
Wake Robin, Longview, WA

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