Category Overview
Conserving land along our waterways protects important habitat and helps keep our rivers healthy, clean, and more resilient to drought. Riparian Protection projects conserve and restore fresh and saltwater habitat while protecting fish habitat. In doing so, the grants help provide our families, farms, and fisheries with clean water across the state.
Project Highlights
The Department of Fish and Wildlife will use this grant to buy up to 416 acres of mostly floodplain habitat along the Chehalis River, near Oakville. The purchase will help expand the buffer around the department’s Davis Creek Wildlife Area Unit and will connect two habitat corridors. It will connect about 4 miles of Chehalis riverbank to other habitat (including off-channel habitat and wetlands) that extend another 1.2 miles downstream and 1 mile upstream to a bridge. It also creates a permanent and near continuous north-south link between the Capitol State Forest and the Lower Chehalis State Forest. The land contains remnant oak woodland and historic prairie habitats. Bordering lands are known to support waterfowl, elk, beaver, salmon, band-tailed pigeon, wood ducks, and the Olympic mudminnow.