Ecotrust funds restoration projects in Grays River

The Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST) was recently awarded $40,000 to begin conceptual designs for three restoration projects in the Grays River.

The funding is provided through the a NOAA/Ecotrust partnership titled the Whole Watersheds Restoration Initiative. The projects are proposed to restore in-stream habitat and improve bank conditions for the Gorley, Sorenson, and Gudmundsen families. The three project sites have been heavily impacted by flooding and damaging river processes in the Grays River. CREST’s actions will target restoration of natural, self-sustaining processes to improve the long-term site conditions.

In addition to beginning design, the project will hire two high school students from the Naselle/Grays River High School through the Columbia Estuary Environmental Education Program (CEEEP). Started in 2005, the Wahkiakum Community Foundation hired and educated over 73 kids and 4 college students. CREST now houses the program and this year’s program participants will learn longitudinal surveying, macroinvertebrate sampling techniques, identification of native and invasive vegetation, and culvert fish passage criteria.

For information on this project, contact Amy Ammer, Habitat Restoration Specialist, at (503) 325–0435, ext. 12 or aammer@columbiaestuary.org. Information on the Ecotrust Whole Watersheds program is available at http://www.ecotrust.org/wwri/.