Get your tickets today for Celebrate the Columbia! Join us on Sunday, September 20 at the Hotel Indigo Edgewater Ballroom (550 Waterfront Way, Vancouver) for an evening of wonderful company, incredible views of the Columbia River, delicious food and drink, and auction games to support the work of the Estuary Partnership!
The event kicks off at 1 p.m. and will feature catering by El Gaucho and a program emceed by Portland's famous Poison Waters. We will remember successes from the past year and all the partners who make it possible, toast to our Stewards of the Year, and raise funds to further our critical mission.
We are still seeking event donors and sponsors! Become a Celebrate the Columbia sponsor today and join us to connect with our work and gather with dozens of partners and business and community leaders on September 20.
Have you spotted our Big Canoes on a river near you? They’re 29 feet long, hold 12 passengers each, are bright orange (complete with their namesake osprey and kingfisher on the bow and our logo on the stern), and are very hard to miss! The Estuary Partnership's environmental educators are also skilled Big Canoe captains. These floating classrooms are great for hands-on learning about water safety, watershed health, wildlife, and factors impacting water quality and habitat that the public can help mitigate.
So far, our educators have led 26 paddle programs for over 450 community members. Big Canoe program participants have explored several locations along the Willamette River, Vancouver Lake/Lake River, and the calmer side channels of the Columbia River, including Scappoose Bay.
The Big Canoe program will continue through the end of summer, with a dozen more community paddle trips scheduled for more than 200 people!
Here is what our Big Canoe program partners have to say about the program:
"You have been wonderful partners in helping our folks connect to the river in a new way. We've seen eagles and deer while out near Ross Island, we've had folks who were afraid of the water get in the canoes and have a wonderful time, and they always learn a lot about the Superfund work in class and when we launch from Cathedral Park, it's a great way to connect learning to the actual site." -Teresa Gaddy, Green Workforce Academy
"The group had an amazing experience, as it was their first time canoeing. They are all Vancouver natives but had never been on Vancouver Lake before. This was an amazing experience." -Jenny Gomez, TRiO Talent Search/WSU, first generation college students
These incredible Big Canoe experiences are provided to our partners at no cost thanks to support from the following funders:
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund
Clark County, Port of Vancouver, and the City of Vancouver’s Experience Vancouver Lake program
The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services’ Portland Harbor Community Grant
The Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation’s Conservation Education Grant
Oregon State Marine Board’s Waterway Access Grant - partial funding was provided by the Oregon State Marine Board’s Waterway Access Grant Program. Funding comes from the purchase of Waterway Access Permits by boaters with paddlecraft 10 feet in length or longer.
Lessons and Opportunities from the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program
The Columbia River Basin Restoration Program is shedding light on critical water quality challenges while also implementing solutions for reducing toxic contaminants across the Columbia Basin. Tickets are on sale and speakers have been announced!
The 2026 Science to Policy Summit will bring together researchers and leaders to share results from recent monitoring and toxics reduction efforts and discuss opportunities to apply the data-driven lessons learned from Columbia River Basin Restoration Program-supported work to achieve basin-wide impact.
Please mark your calendars for September 2, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees can join in-person at Lacamas Lake Lodge in Camas, Washington or virtually. The registration deadline to join the Summit in person is August 28.
You’re invited: Harvesting & Tending at the Sandy River Delta
You are invited to join Confluence, local Indigenous partners, the US Forest Service, and the Estuary Partnership team as we work together on the repatriation and rematriation of the Sandy River Delta on Saturday, September 3, 2026.
This work is being done through land tending and traditional cultural and ecological knowledge focused on enhancement and rehabilitation of an Indigenous foods gathering area within the conservation area. You are invited to collaborate with us while we work in community, spend time learning, and tend to native plants for cultural use to help them thrive!
2 ways to support the Estuary Partnership in your daily life
Fred Meyer Community Rewards
Link your Fred Meyer Rewards card to the Estuary Partnership by searching for "Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership" or using the code EG199. Every time you shop, a portion of your total comes to support hands-on restoration and education.
BottleDrop
Supporters in Oregon can donate their BottleDrop credit to the Estuary Partnership! Just contact us to request the special blue bags designated for nonprofits. Once your bag is full of redeemable cans and bottles, drop it off at any BottleDrop Redemption Center, and the refund will automatically be donated to the Estuary Partnership, supporting efforts to restore and care for the lower Columbia River. You can also donate proceeds from your personal BottleDrop account to the Estuary Partnership here.
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership 400 NE 11th Avenue Portland, OR 97211
To restore and care for the waters and ecosystems of the lower Columbia River, for current and future generations of fish, wildlife, and people.
%20(1).jpeg)
.png){kind=logo}
