WASHINGTON TROUT UNLIMITED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE FOR PLANTING IMPROVES KLICKITAT RIVER RECREATIONAL SITE

Lyle REACH after school program students with their mentors and fishing rodes donated by the WCTU-KAEG of Trout Unlimited
Photo Credit: Don Wilhite

By Laurie Wilhite, WCTU-KAEG Cochair March 28, 2025

Klickitat Trail Conservancy Table: Barbara Robinson, Sue Van Leuven, and Bill Weiler at volunteer appreciation.
Photo Credit: Laurie Wilhite

The recently shy sun came out and stayed through the planting day on March 13, 2025, for Lyle and Wishram students. This was the second time students have participated in the Trout Unlimited STREAM Explorer program for Klickitat Mile One (KMO) plantings with U.S.F.S.- Columbia Gorge Scenic Area botanist, Brance Morefield. KMO is located just one mile upriver from the mouth of the Klickitat River. The acronym STREAM represents the conservation educational components of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Students installed native plants and shrubs to help prevent erosion at the new day-use park.

Leathercraft: Margaret Neuman, Mid-Columbia Fisheries, makes a commemorative keychain.
Photo Credit: Laurie Wilhite

At the end of the STREAM Explorer planting day students from the Lyle and Wishram REACH afterschool program were presented with fishing rods and gear purchased by the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited—Klickitat Alternate Engagement Group (WCTU-KAEG). Each student also received a certificate of appreciation for being a Trout Unlimited STREAM Explorer and learning the nine elements of a healthy stream.

The sun also came out just in time for the WCTU-KAEG volunteer appreciation/near completion event held at KMO on March 22, 2025. Special guest speakers, including Donna Mickley, Supervisor, U.S.F.S. Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, Barbara Robinson of the Klickitat Trail Conservancy (KTC), who helped explain the history of this special site. A KTC one-mile group hike was led by President Ken Hansen, Steven Woolpert, and Bev Linde from the Lyle trailhead to the site. Margaret Neuman, Executive Director, also spoke about the conservation efforts of her Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group over the years at KMO. Margaret purchased additional Ponderosa Pine and Oregon White Oak trees to plant at the site.

Guests were served lunch provided by the WCTU-KAEG to honor all volunteers. Event participants then planted trees, created a commemorative leather key chain to take home, and strolled around the beautiful KMO site. There are now five large picnic tables, a restroom, and improved parking. Other improvements including some interpretive signage, trail work, and non-motorized boat/recreational access will soon be completed. Gary Gidley and Laurie Wilhite are co-chairs of the local WCTU-KAEG Trout Unlimited group.

Donna Mickley said, “It was an honor to spend the afternoon in such an important landscape within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area with such great partners and caretakers of Klickitat Mile One. It takes all of us to steward these special places.”

The United States Forest Service owns the 17 acres under renovation along the Wild and Scenic Klickitat River. The park is called Klickitat Mile One because of its location, just one mile upriver from the mouth of the Klickitat River. It has also been known as “No Name Park” and “County Park” even though Klickitat County has never owned the 17-acre site. A renaming of this park by the U.S.F.S. is underway and will be announced as the project nears completion.

Laurie Wilhite, thank you for leading the KAEG!

The WCTU-KAEG is one of several partners in this Forest Service project supported by Brance Morefield, Botanist. Lyle and Wishram students from the REACH after school program first came to plant in November of 2023 with their mentors Kenji Stasiewicz, Megan Winn and Kristen Ringer. Over 200 native plants including milkweed, mock orange, bitter brush, desert parsley, and yarrow were purchased by the WCTU-KAEG for the conservation project along the Klickitat River at KMO.

Many of the native plants were purchased with a Trout Unlimited National Embrace a Stream Grant. One of the main goals of Trout Unlimited is to protect and enhance habitat for cold water fisheries including salmon, steelhead, and trout. The EAS grant funded approximately $2,000 to purchase the plants that year.

Other volunteers honored included Bill Spalding and Tom Fritsch, local fishermen/project supporters; Rhonna Lee, Don Wilhite, Olivia Holderman, Tony Paolino, Dan Bolton, Bill Weiler, Danny Cosgrove, and Patti Elliott. The Klickitat Trail Conservancy provided an information table about their organization. KTC president, Ken Hansen, and over a dozen hikers joined the day to celebrate the volunteer work of former KTC president and native plant expert Barbara Robinson.

Trout Unlimited and Klickitat Trail Conservancy member Dan Enz said, “I had such a wonderful time helping young students from Lyle and Wishram plant native shrubs and trees at Mile One Park alongside the Klickitat River. The children were well behaved and eager to go to work and get their hands dirty. We had a diverse group of volunteers helping the students with this very important effort. The children that participated will see the fruits of their efforts materializing over time.They will take pride in the fact they contributed directly to the beautification of this park. Also, I’m proud of the fact that I contributed to the success of this new park and just maybe helped motivate a child to see the beauty in volunteering.”

If you are interested in volunteering or joining Trout Unlimited, please contact us at klickitattuprojects@washingtontu.org.

The Wild and Scenic Klickitat River as it passes by the KMO park site. Photo Credit: Laurie Wilhite