Spring Planting in the Chehalis River Basin
Alex Gustafson talks with volunteers prior to the fun day of planting and restoration getting under way - Photo by Alexei Calambokidis, Washington Conservation Manager
TU Staff and Volunteers Return to Lost Creek
Greg Fitz, West Coast Communications Director
On a chilly day in mid-February, volunteers with the Olympia Chapter of TU joined Alex Gustafson, TU’s Chehalis Restoration Project Manager, to plant 125 bare-root saplings along a fish passage project site on Lost Creek, a tributary to Stillman Creek in Washington’s Upper Chehalis River watershed.
The previous culvert on Lost Creek which was removed in 2019 - Photo by Luke Kelly, Washington Coast Restoration Program Manager
Lost Creek contains important spawning and rearing habitat for Coho Salmon, steelhead, sea-run cutthroat, Pacific Lamprey, and resident trout. In 2019, Luke Kelly, TU’s Washington Coast Restoration Program Manager, completed a project that removed a culvert blocking fish passage and replaced it with a steel bridge. Removing this barrier restored consistent access to 2.5 miles of high-quality habitat upstream of the site for anadromous and resident fish. The project took place on private land owned by a great local restoration partner.
The bridge which replaced the culvert on Lost Creek - Photo by Luke Kelly, Washington Coast Restoration Program Manager
Planting was a part of the initial project. Five years later, many of those trees at the bridge site are six feet tall. This winter’s planting bolsters and expands on that original effort.
Gustafson had an opportunity to secure another batch of native trees and shrubs with the help of the Gray Harbor Conservation District and the Washington Association of Conservation Districts Plant Material Center. She and the volunteers returned to the site to plant a mix of Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Salmonberry, Oregon Grape and Vine Maple along an additional 200-foot stretch of Lost Creek.
Their effort will widen the riparian buffer, help with conifer succession, and soil retention. As the trees and shrubs grow, they’ll help shade the water and cool the stream.
J Michelle setting up the protective covers for a newly planted sapling - Photo by Alexei Calambokidis, Washington Conservation Manager
“It was such a fun and educational time! We planted 125 plants, got to meet the landowner, and also got a tour of the finished TU project,” explained J. Michelle Swope, the president of the Olympia Chapter. “It is a great feeling to be able to physically help with conservation projects in the Chehalis basin!”
Alex Gustafson was happy with how the day went, too. “I am thrilled with the enthusiasm and turn out at this event. TU members and volunteers were so eager to dig in that I couldn’t hand out plants quick enough. This planting event showcased a successful TU barrier project, a stewardship-minded landowner, and an eagerness amongst our members to get out and help our watersheds for salmon and trout. The TU Olympia Chapter and I are eagerly planning more volunteer days in the Chehalis Basin.”
Newly planted saplings rise along the edge of the forest - Photo by Alexei Calambokidis, Washington Conservation Manager