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 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will use this grant to acquire approximately 440 acres for Riparian Protection habitat and public recreational access. The property is located five miles north of the town of Cougar and east of the city of Woodland, between Merrill Lake and the Kalama River in Cowlitz County. It connects with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to the north and Washington Department of Natural Resources’ Natural Resources Conservation Area to the south. It includes shorelines along the Kalama River, Merrill Lake, and Dry Creek, and high volume springs that feed the Kalama River. Acquisition of this property will protect habitat for steelhead, Coho and Chinook salmon, and high quality native plant communities and provide secure public recreational access to the shoreline.