This restoration project is slated to begin in late 2024
Washington’s Lower East Fork Lewis River is essential to the recovery of wild salmon and steelhead. It is one of the few undammed rivers that supports five native salmonid species: fall Chinook salmon; winter and summer steelhead; coho salmon; and chum salmon. It also supports Pacific lamprey and other native aquatic and terrestrial species.
Photo provided by the Clark Skamania Flyfishers
However, habitat loss resulting from a former gravel mining operation on the river threatens the abundance of these wild fish and puts homes and other structures at risk of flooding. During the
Steigerwald Lake is a US Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge situated along the banks of the Columbia near Washougal, Washington, at the Gateway to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Through a collaborative partnership, the lands and waters of the Refuge and the Columbia River were recently reconnected. The collaborative Steigerwald Reconnection Project reconnected 965 acres of Columbia River floodplain after generations separated by a levee, reduced flood risk from Gibbons Creek, improved habitat for fish and wildlife, and created new trails for recreation at the
