About Us

We live for the Columbia River

The Estuary Partnership was founded in 1995, and 2020 was our 25th year of protecting and advocating for the lower Columbia River. 

We restore habitat for keystone species like salmon and steelhead. We monitor ecosystem conditions and share our scientific findings. We seek methods to mitigate for changing climate conditions.

We educate the upcoming generation about outdoor science and offer opportunities for community members to make a difference in their watershed. And we work in partnership with hundreds of organizations, companies, agencies, and individuals, because together our impact is so much greater.

More about us

  • Our Area

    The Estuary Partnership focuses on the lower 146 miles of the Columbia River. This tidally-influenced area stretches from Bonneville Dam to the Pacific Ocean and includes 28 cities and portions of nine counties.

  • Land Acknowledgement

    The lower Columbia River (Wimahl in Upper Chinook and Nch’i-Wàna in Sahaptin) has been inhabited and stewarded by numerous tribes and bands of Indigenous peoples since time immemorial, and these peoples continue to have a deep and abiding connection to our lands and waters. The broad geography of the lower Columbia historically included dozens of seasonal and permanent villages and an interconnected web of tribal affiliations. Tribes including the Chinook, Clatsop, Kathlamet, Wahkiakum, Multnomah, Cascades, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla, Wasco, Clackamas, Cowlitz, Skilloot, and Atfalati have ancestral connections to the lower Columbia and continue to be stewards of the river. We recognize that tribal territories were often shared and overlapping, and that this may be an incomplete list of those who lived on these lands. We pay respect to the elders, both past and present, who have stewarded the waters and lands of the Columbia River throughout generations. Read more.

  • Our Mission

    To restore and care for the waters and ecosystems of the Lower Columbia River, for current and future generations of fish, wildlife, and people.

  • National Estuary Program

    The National Estuary Program ensures our critical coastal waterways are healthy and support the communities around them. National Estuary Programs are local people working together to restore the water quality and ecological integrity of the 28 estuaries of national significance across the United States, including the lower Columbia River. 

    Created by Congress in 1987, the National Estuary Program provides seed money to local communities, who leverage those resources to improve habitat, find solutions to difficult ecological issues, support our coastal economies, and engage community members to care for their waterways.

     

Water Trails

Discover your local waterways by nonmotorized boat!


Earth Day Oregon partner logos
FEATURED PARTNER

Earth Day Oregon Partners

April is Earth Month and we are proud to partner with these businesses:
 

Ash Creek Forest Management 

is a recognized industry leader and certified B-Corp, and creates innovative solutions for sustainable management of natural areas, farms and forests, backyards and bioswales. They work with clients to envision and achieve successful, low-chemical habitat restoration and naturescaping. They also provide a suite of expert professional services.
 

KPFF

is a multi-discipline engineering firm. With their collaborative and creative team of civil and structural engineers and surveyors, they thrive on designing innovative solutions for projects of all scales. For more than 60 years, KPFF has provided creative, practical solutions for projects of all kinds and industries. 
 

Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe

is the premiere paddle sports store and paddling school in Oregon. With one main retail location and three satellite rental locations, and a friendly and knowledgeable staff, they can supply all of your paddling needs. They have a complete online kayak, canoe, and SUP shop, and you can test paddle anything in stock at their Jantzen Beach retail store. And they have Oregon’s largest paddle sports rental fleet.

From April 1 through May 3, donate $100 or more to the Estuary Partnership and Alder Creek will give you a voucher for a free kayak rental for two!