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
Columbia Land Trust conserved 474 acres on Willapa Bay in Pacific County, in southwest Washington. The property has Willapa Bay shoreline, Seal Slough, intertidal wetlands, numerous streams, riparian areas and associated upland coniferous forest. It has 1.84 miles of Willapa Bay frontage, 13.32 miles of sloughs and streams, and 45 acres of emergent and forested estuarine wetlands. It has 274.88 acres of riparian areas, 58 percent of the property. The property was purchased in fee simple ownership and deed restrictions ensure that it will be conserved in perpetuity. The primary species supported by these habitats are Chinook, chum, coho, steelhead, and coastal cutthroat. Other benefiting priority species include green sturgeon, eulachon (smelt), bald eagle and numerous migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds.